The purpose of conservation: The greatest good to the greatest number of people for the longest time* Pallavi Pant 0711MNE M.Sc. Environmental Studies World Heritage Convention - Helping conserve Biodiversity * Prothi-Khanna, N 2004, ‘Conflicting Perceptions’, Seminar , vol.542

Introduction

Natural heritage under WHC Natural heritage defined in Article 2 as outstanding physical, biological and geological features; habitats of threatened plants and animals and areas of value on aesthetic or scientific grounds or from point of view of conservation (Smith and Jabukowksa, 2000) Operational Guidelines suggest areas associated with earth’s evolutionary history geological processes, biological evolution unique, rare or superlative natural phenomena habitats of rare or endangered species

Natural heritage defined in Article 2 as outstanding physical, biological and geological features; habitats of threatened plants and animals and areas of value on aesthetic or scientific grounds or from point of view of conservation (Smith and Jabukowksa, 2000)

Operational Guidelines suggest areas associated with

earth’s evolutionary history

geological processes, biological evolution

unique, rare or superlative natural phenomena

habitats of rare or endangered species

Procedure of selection *Adapted from Mathur, VB 2007, Nominating Natural Heritage Properties for Tentative List

Biodiversity regions represented in the Natural Heritage Sites WWF Ecoregions Endemic Bird Areas Vavilov Centers of Plant Genetic Diversity Biogeographical Provinces Biodiversity Hotspots (Smith and Jakubowksa, 2000)

WWF Ecoregions

Endemic Bird Areas

Vavilov Centers of Plant Genetic Diversity

Biogeographical Provinces

Biodiversity Hotspots

The Indian Story so far….. Conservation is an ongoing process. No timeframe can be specified (Periodic Report, India, 2004)

Synergy between WHC and other conventions *WHC has MoUs with CBD and Ramsar Convention World Heritage Convention ECOSYSTEM APPROACH Millennium Development Goals Ensuring environmental sustainability Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger CBD 2010 Biodiversity Target Work on Protected Areas Biodiversity Liaison Group Ramsar Convention Work on threatened sites Man and Biosphere Programme

Millennium Development Goals

Ensuring environmental sustainability

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

CBD

2010 Biodiversity Target

Work on Protected Areas

Biodiversity Liaison Group

Ramsar Convention

Work on threatened sites

Conclusions The Convention has a lot of scope for conservation management International prestige, financial and technical assistance as well as strict obligations But…. too much focus at global level & understood poorly in terms of biodiversity conservation potential differing approaches at present; need for greater coherence between conventions in India, WHC/ other conventions/ national laws for biodiversity conservation; need of the hour is implementation

The Convention has a lot of scope for conservation management

International prestige, financial and technical assistance as well as strict obligations

But….

too much focus at global level & understood poorly in terms of biodiversity conservation potential

differing approaches at present; need for greater coherence between conventions

in India, WHC/ other conventions/ national laws for biodiversity conservation; need of the hour is implementation

References Mathur, VB 2007, ‘Nominating Natural Heritage Properties on the tentative list’, Training Workshop on the World Heritage Management, UNITAR , Japan. Pressouyre, L 1996, ‘The World Heritage Convention, twenty years later’, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, France. UNESCO-WHC, http://whc.unesco.org/en/about/ , Accessed on March 13, 2008. UNESCO-WHC 2007, ‘World Heritage: Challenges for the Millennium’, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, France. UNEP-WCMC, Protected Areas and World Heritage, < http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/world_heritage/index.htm >, Accessed on April 23, 2008. UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006, ‘The UNESCO World Heritage Centre’s Natural Heritage Strategy’, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, France.

Mathur, VB 2007, ‘Nominating Natural Heritage Properties on the tentative list’, Training Workshop on the World Heritage Management, UNITAR , Japan.

Pressouyre, L 1996, ‘The World Heritage Convention, twenty years later’, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, France.

UNESCO-WHC, http://whc.unesco.org/en/about/ , Accessed on March 13, 2008.

UNESCO-WHC 2007, ‘World Heritage: Challenges for the Millennium’, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, France.

UNEP-WCMC, Protected Areas and World Heritage, < http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/world_heritage/index.htm >, Accessed on April 23, 2008.

UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2006, ‘The UNESCO World Heritage Centre’s Natural Heritage Strategy’, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, France.