The World Heritage Forest Programme
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With the inscription of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico during the 32nd World Heritage Committee meeting in July 2008, the number of World Heritage Forest sites increased to 97. Ranging in size from 18 hectares (Vallée de Mai, Seychelles), to 8.8 million hectares (Lake Baikal, Russia), World Heritage forest sites now have a total surface area of over 76 million hectares (1.5 times the surface area of France) and represent over 13% of all IUCN category I-IV protected forests worldwide.
Given these figures, it is clear that the World Heritage Convention is uniquely positioned amongst international conventions, programmes and agencies to play a leading role for in-situ conservation of forest biodiversity. In recognition of this solemn responsibility, the World Heritage Committee in its 25th session (2001), agreed that forests warranted a particular focus, and approved the creation of the World Heritage Forest programme to ensure that the World Heritage Convention be leveraged as much as possible to further forest conservation on a global scale.
This part of the World Heritage web site is dedicated to providing useful information to World Heritage forest conservation stakeholders. We welcome your feedback and recommendations.
Contacts
- Marc Patry (ma.patry@unesco.org)
Documents
- Forests Warranting Further Consideration as Potential World Heritage Sites
- Paper 21, World Heritage Forests
- Proceedings of the World Heritage Boreal Zone Workshop
- The State of Conservation of the World Heritage Forest Network
- The World Heritage Convention as a mechanism for conserving tropical forest biodiversity
- Threat Intensities for World Heritage Forests 2001-2006
- What Value Added from World Heritage Forests?
- World Heritage Forest Indicators
Sites
Nahanni National Park- Yellowstone National Park
- Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Białowieża Forest
- Virunga National Park
- Tikal National Park
- Plitvice Lakes National Park
- Durmitor National Park
- Redwood National and State Parks
- Kahuzi-Biega National Park
- Kakadu National Park
- Olympic National Park
- Niokolo-Koba National Park
- Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve
- Darien National Park
- Tasmanian Wilderness
- Taï National Park
- Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve
- Selous Game Reserve
- Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park
- Pirin National Park
- Comoé National Park
- Wood Buffalo National Park
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Sangay National Park
- Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve
- Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
- Salonga National Park
- Royal Chitwan National Park
- Iguazu National Park
- Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks
- Yosemite National Park
- Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
- Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
- Waterton Glacier International Peace Park
- Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
- Garajonay National Park
- Manú National Park
- Sinharaja Forest Reserve
- Dja Faunal Reserve
- Sian Ka'an
- Gros Morne National Park
- Tongariro National Park
- Mount Taishan
- Sundarbans National Park
- Wet Tropics of Queensland
- Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve
- Mount Huangshan
- Río Abiseo National Park
- Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand
- Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex
- Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries
- Ujung Kulon National Park
- Fraser Island
- Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
- Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
- Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park
- Yakushima
- Shirakami-Sanchi
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Rwenzori Mountains National Park
- Canaima National Park
- Los Katíos National Park
- Okapi Wildlife Reserve
- Virgin Komi Forests
- Lake Baikal
- Central Sikhote-Alin
- Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
- The Sundarbans
- Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest
- Morne Trois Pitons National Park
- Cocos Island National Park
- Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
- East Rennell
- Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves
- Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves
- Mount Wuyi
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Area de Conservación Guanacaste
- Laurisilva of Madeira
- Lorentz National Park
- Noel Kempff Mercado National Park
- Central Amazon Conservation Complex
- Pantanal Conservation Area
- Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves
- Kinabalu Park
- Gunung Mulu National Park
- Central Suriname Nature Reserve
- Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks
- Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
- Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians
- Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection
- Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda
- Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
- Shiretoko
- Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains
- Rainforests of the Atsinanana
- Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
- Mount Sanqingshan National Park
News
Geographical focus:
- Africa
- Arab States
- Asia and the Pacific
- Europe and North America
- Latin America and the Caribbean
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