The report produced for WWF by Dalberg Global Development Advisors showed how UNESCO sites support the economic and social development by protecting the environment, but also revealed the global failures to protect these highly valuable areas in full details.
Over 11 million people rely on the World Heritage sites for food, water, shelter, or medicine and the sites can be negatively affected by large-scale industrial activities conducted on their territory. 114 out of 229 nature and cultural sites suffer from concessions for gas, oil, or other mining activities, or are at risk from other activities. “World Heritage sites should receive the highest levels of protection, yet we are often unable to safeguard even this important fraction of the Earth’s surface,” Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International, pointed out.
12 of the threatened World Heritage sites are within the EU, and two of them (Pirin National Park and Srebarna Nature Reserve) are in Bulgaria, and are also protected by the Natura 2000 directives. “Protecting the landscape and ancient forests of Pirin has turned out to be a great challenge for our country because of the ceaseless interests for their clearing in order to make way for ski resorts,” said Katerina Rakovska, “Protected territories and Natura 2000” expert, adding “Business development at the expense of nature is an unsustainable practice, and is unprofitable in the long term for investors too. There are numerous examples for successful integration of economic interests and environmental protection that benefit the local communities.”
In relation to the Srebarna Reserve, the report points out that the lake is home to over 100 species of birds, many of which are rare and endangered. The main threats to it are unsustainable water management and artificial barriers cutting the links between wetlands. Many of the problems with Central and Eastern Europe’s wetlands are inherited from a previous era. In the last 10 years, with the help of WWF, over 10 000 ha of wetlands in the region have been restored, and the work in that area continues.
At least six UNESCO sites, located in Central and Eastern Europe, are threatened by the mining industry, tourism and transport infrastructure, and illegal logging - the Danube delta, the primeval beech forests of the Carpathians, the famous Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, as well as Pirin and Srebarna. The unique wetlands of Doñana National Park (Spain), which fall under Natura 2000 protection, and biodiversity in the Wadden Sea (Germany) are also endangered sites of outstanding importance in Europe. Better implementation of Natura 2000’s directives may be of crucial importance for the protection of valuable ecosystems and species. “At the moment, the two directives determining the creation of the Natura 2000 network are the only guarantee for protection of the natural areas which are not part of our national protected territories, which encompass only 5% of the territory of Bulgaria. The EU ecological network is the chance for conservation of the former protected landscape “Kamchiiski pyasatsi” and Yantra River,” Katerina Rakovska explained.
“We need to accept the fact that people don’t just protect these sites, these sites protect people. Governments and businesses need to prioritize long-term value over short-term revenue and respect the status of these incredible places,” Lambertini said. “We need to focus on sustainable alternatives that enhance World Heritage sites, their values and the benefits they provide.”
UNESCO World Heritage sites belong to all people, but are endangered
