Category: <span>World Heritage Convention</span>

Recommendations to the World Heritage Committee. “Heritage Dammed” Updated. Part III.

Given tragic situation with river ecosystem protection  in the realm of the World Heritage Convention,  we want to bring to attention of Your delegations a concise brief detailing our findings and recommendations. We hope that Your Country will be able to promote strengthening freshwater ecosystem conservation. Rivers without Boundaries Coalition …

2021 Updates to the “Heritage Dammed” Report. Part I.Trends

Sharp rise in negative impacts on World Heritage sites, occurring despite limitations of COVID, is in particularly obvious for properties affected by dams and other water infrastructure. This is the first part of a brief presented to World Heritage Convention Committee today by the RwB. Here: Part I Heritage Dammed …

Georgia Should Take Urgent Measures to Protect Rioni River Biodiversity

Today the World Heritage Committee inscribed the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, Georgia, on the World Heritage List as a unique ecosystem hosting outstanding biodiversity. The Decision states that the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands are relict forests, which have survived the glacial cycles of the ice age. The peatlands of the …

The Rivers without Boundaries Thanks the World Heritage Committee for its Wise Decision on the Lake Baikal

On July 23 the 44th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held at Fuzhou in China, unanimously approved (without discussion) a new Decision on the Lake Baikal – the most troubled property of the Russian Federation. As an observer at the Session, Eugene Simonov, Coordinator of the Rivers without Boundaries …

Natural Heritage Receives a Major Blow as the Selous Game Reserve is Discussed at Fuzhou Session of the World Heritage Convention Committee

On July 19th, the majority of the World Heritage Committee Members refuted the World Heritage Centre’s recommendation to de-list the property damaged severely and deliberately by construction of a hydropower reservoir on the Rufiji River. Instead many of them congratulated the State Party of Tanzania for its relentless efforts in …

Luang Prabang – World Heritage Sandwiched Between Dams

Commentary to Mongabay by Gary Lee | Sarinee Achavanuntakul | Eugene Simonov This month’s World Heritage meeting represents a critical opportunity for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) to protect rivers and the World Heritage sites and cultures that depend on them. The WHC is charged with protecting sites around …