Note 2

Identifying sensitive areas and preparing vulnerability assessment related to wind energy projects

About

Purpose and Scope Context Notes Case Studies Resources

The objective of the Guidance is to provide easy-to-understand and user-friendly information on wind energy projects and World Heritage protection and management, and to highlight processes and tools for overcoming potential challenges that may arise. The Guidance aims to assist in the planning of wind energy projects while providing insights to explore options for proactive conservation for World Heritage site managers and and heritage protection authorities.The core of the Guidance includes four main parts

About the Guidance
World Heritage Essentials

History and purpose of the Convention How does the Convention work? Decision-making and governing The World Heritage List Spatial boundaries of World Heritage properties and their importance for protection and management

This part of the guidance is designed to introduce basic World Heritage concepts to a non-specialist audience. The implementation of the World Heritage Convention on the national level can be challenging for States Parties.

The following text explains the basics of the Convention to better understand its spirit and underlying principles. It further outlines good practices that assist complying with recommended international conservation standards to fully deploy the effectiveness of the Convention and to achieve its ultimate goals. The described indications aim to help readers understand the purpose of requirements described in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, and to act accordingly constructively and proactively.

Word Heritage Essentials
Wind Energy Essentials

What is renewable energy? What is wind energy? How is energy generated by the wind? Components of wind energy infrastructure Potential impacts of wind energy projects on World Heritage Siting and design of wind energy farms Wind energy life cycle

This part of the Guidance offers an overview of wind energy related information primarily for heritage practitioners and decision-makers not familiar with this field.

A brief overview of the main technical features and processes behind wind energy planning will allow a more effective understanding of their potential impacts on World Heritage and catalyse more efficient dialogue between stakeholders to seek solutions. In addition, this section approaches this field with a focus on World Heritage matters, highlighting sensitive conservation issues.

Wind Energy Essentials
Protecting World Heritage

Understanding World Heritage properties and sharing information Strengthening World Heritage protection in policies and legal frameworks Decision-making and governing Engaging in early planning for wind energy infrastructures Proactive conservation actions – enhancing management in view of the energy transition

National strategies and policies for the transition to renewable energy and initiatives for decarbonization are often based on the strategic principles and guidelines set in international agreements and directives. This is, for example, the case in the European Union policies, which have direct influence on national planning. However, the implementation of international agreements or directives, such as those of the EU, relating to renewable energy is often not cross-checked and aligned with national policies and regulations protecting natural and cultural heritage, including World Heritage properties. It is similarly important that national policies, programmes, and plans, as well as the accompanying national legal frameworks, give due consideration to heritage protection and ensure full protection of World Heritage properties. In addition to the establishment of an appropriate legal framework, a proactive approach to site management could effectively supplement national legal tools and support and strengthen protection measures ensuring the preservation of World Heritage properties for future generations.

Protecting World Heritage during the Energy Transition
Impacts of Wind Energy Projects

Why is it important to assess the impacts of wind energy projects in a World Heritage context? Elements of impact assessment Participation of rights-holders and other stakeholders in an impact assessment process Types of impact assessments Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) Step-by-step Potential impacts of wind energy projects What should be considered before beginning an ESIA? Checklists

This part of the Guidance provides heritage and impact assessment practitioners, site managers and heritage institutions an overview of the process for assessing the impacts of wind energy projects associated with World Heritage properties. The information is intended to assist actors responsible for commissioning and preparation such impact assessments and to support decision-makers.

Impacts of wind energy projects and their assessment

What is the identification of sensitive areas and how could vulnerability assessments be used in the context of wind energy planning?

Depending on their nature, some attributes of World Heritage properties may be more sensitive to certain impacts, including impacts of wind energy projects, than others. The identification and mapping of attributes (➔ see Note 1) allows recognizing areas that would be unsuitable for wind energy developments, but at the same time identifying other areas where wind energy project would potentially have no adverse impact on the OUV of World Heritage properties.

A vulnerability assessment or a vulnerability study in this context is a process that is intended to identify threats and the risks that is generated by potential or proposed wind energy projects. It is a risk-based approach, which incorporate an assessment of sensitiveness and the possibilities to eliminate or minimize hazards. The identification of sensitive areas is ideally part of and the result of this more complex vulnerability assessment.

A vulnerability assessment and identification of sensitive areas could be applied for other types of projects or threats and hazards as well, that might be impactful for World Heritage properties. Vulnerability assessments could be prepared independently of any proposed projects, as an element of the management system for potential threats or hazards that a World Heritage property might be faced with.

What to consider for identifying sensitive areas related to a World Heritage property?

The basis of any vulnerability assessment is the list of identified attributes (features) that convey the OUV of the property (➔ see Note 1). When considering wind energy projects, this exercise is to be carried out considering the specificities of a World Heritage property on the one hand, and the relevant information on wind energy projects on the other hand (including general information based on the national or local wind energy policy of a country, or specific planned/proposed projects in or around the property).

Mapping sensitive areas related to visual values

Over the years, visual impacts on World Heritage properties have increased in relevance and occurrence. They have heightened the need to identify and map specific vistas, panoramas, viewpoints, and silhouettes that need to be protected to maintain the visual distinctiveness of a property and to visually demonstrate the relationship between the World Heritage property with its surroundings (the buffer zone and the wider setting). ➔ See Note 5. This is especially relevant for cultural World Heritage properties and natural World Heritage properties inscribed under criteria (vii).

The vulnerability study should cover the property as well as the buffer zone and the wider setting of a World Heritage property (➔ see World Heritage essentials). Such mapping may focus on matters related to the exposure and vulnerability/sensitivity of the OUV of World Heritage properties to wind energy.

Wind energy related factors that may be relevant for the vulnerability assessment

potential placement of wind farms / development potential indices for wind energy if available (DPIs – which is a land suitability index for wind energy installation)
potential extension of the wind farms and location of the ancillary infrastructure
technical parameters of the wind turbines considered suitable in that area, including information about their construction requirements
technical information about the associated ancillary infrastructure and their construction requirements
potential time of construction and its technical requirements
upkeeping and maintenance requirements
lifecycle of the windfarms
deconstruction and its technical requirements

How to use the result of a vulnerability assessment?

The result of a vulnerability study is a complex dataset. The maps for sensitive or vulnerable areas are to be provided preferably with GIS based maps that could be included in databases and datasets with a clear explanation about the characteristic of the mapped area and its protection and management needs.

Other vulnerability data (if spatial data is less or not relevant for specific attributes) could be described in a format other than a map with clear links to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of a World Heritage property and attributes that convey the OUV, including protection and management measures.

The datasets and maps are then to be included in the management system and management plan of the properties. The resulting maps could form part of the management system and plan of a property. It also allows this information to be included in other documents that form the basis of policy making and planning (like national/regional level development plans, spatial planning documents and zoning maps), moreover national databases for natural and cultural heritage. This process and the resulting dataset or maps allow tangible and intangible values and supporting elements, even abstract concepts to become perceptible with limitations that are possible to be incorporated into sectoral strategic plans and development maps.

How the result of identifying sensitive areas could assist wind energy projects?

The result of the vulnerability/sensitivity study or mapping has the high potential to indicate which World Heritage properties and which areas of these properties are vulnerable to wind energy projects and in which way. It allows recognizing potential areas that are suitable for wind energy projects from a World Heritage perspective, and also areas where certain or all type of wind energy facility might have a negative impact on the OUV of a World Heritage property.

The result of a vulnerability assessment for wind energy projects could already be available when a new project is proposed, but it could also be part of an impact assessment process (➔ See the elements of the impact assessment process in Impacts of wind energy projects and their assessment). Vulnerability studies may help to model and anticipate the impacts of projects and may serve as basis of dialogue between project proponents and the authorities or organizations entrusted with the protection and management of World heritage properties.

Case studies

See setting studies presented in World Heritage and wind energy planning, Protecting visual integrity in the context of the energy transition

See also the screening process of an impact assessment that was combined with mapping sensitive areas and finding suitable areas for offshore wind energy installation:

Planning offshore wind turbines along the coast of Normandy, France

Other activities 6