Impact Assessments for World Heritage Properties

An international agreement for safeguarding cultural and natural heritage sites of outstanding universal value.

The quality that makes a World Heritage site globally important and unique.

An evaluation of how a proposed project will affect a World Heritage Site.

A country that has ratified (agreed to follow) the World Heritage Convention.

Loss of qualities that led to a site's listing on the World Heritage List.

The committee's final judgment on a site's protection, potentially deleting it from the list if it deteriorates.

Protecting a property's exceptional global value.

A country’s internal rules and regulations for environmental impact assessment and other projects.

A planned assessment to identify how a proposed action might affect a World Heritage site's Outstanding Universal Value and other heritage values.

A preliminary check to determine if a proposed action needs a full impact assessment related to World Heritage.

Always anticipate and evaluate the impact on World Heritage sites when evaluating proposed actions.

Experts needed to evaluate a proposed action's impact on a World Heritage site.

A team of specialists with diverse expertise is necessary for a thorough impact assessment of a World Heritage site.

Involving Indigenous peoples, local communities, and others in the impact assessment process for World Heritage sites.

Uniqueness and significance of a World Heritage site recognized globally.

World Heritage properties should be treated with utmost caution and as valuable and high-priority locations.

The specific features that make a World Heritage site unique and globally important. These include physical qualities like buildings, materials, and landscapes, as well as intangible aspects like processes, social practices, and cultural connections.

Attributes are the specific features that demonstrate the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of a World Heritage site. They tell the story of its exceptional importance and why it deserves global recognition.

Attributes are crucial for protecting World Heritage sites because they are the foundation upon which conservation and management actions are based. By understanding the specific attributes, authorities can implement targeted measures to safeguard their integrity.

Cultural World Heritage sites can have attributes like buildings and structures, urban layouts, agricultural processes, religious ceremonies, building techniques, visual relationships, and spiritual connections.

Natural World Heritage sites can have attributes like specific landscapes, habitats, flagship species, environmental quality, scale and naturalness of habitats, and size/viability of wildlife populations.

The spatial distribution of key attributes and their protection requirements should inform the boundaries of a World Heritage property, its buffer zone, and other management actions. It helps determine the necessary area to protect these important features.

Understanding the attributes that convey a property's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) is crucial for their long-term protection. By focusing on these specific features, conservation efforts can effectively ensure the site's exceptional value is preserved.

A Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) is a formal document that explains why a place is of global significance and deserves World Heritage status. It describes the site's unique qualities, attributes, and why they are considered exceptional.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a broader planning-level assessment, while Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) focuses on specific projects.

The primary concern is determining whether the proposed action will negatively affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the World Heritage property, rather than just focusing on the general impact of the project.

These are the specific features or characteristics that make a World Heritage site globally important and unique. They should be understood to assess impacts on OUV.

The geographical, ecological, and landscape areas surrounding a World Heritage site that can influence its OUV.

These are the immediate and obvious consequences of a project on the site's Outstanding Universal Value.

These are the less obvious effects of a project on the site's Outstanding Universal Value, often occurring over time or through a chain of events.

These are the combined effects of multiple past, present, and future projects on the site's Outstanding Universal Value, even if the individual impacts are small.

Organizations like the World Bank, OECD-DAC, and IFC have established minimum standards for impact assessments, which should be met by all forms of assessments.

A process to evaluate the potential effects of an action on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other heritage/conservation values of a World Heritage property.

A dedicated assessment focused solely on the potential impact of an action on a World Heritage property's OUV and other heritage/conservation values.

A comprehensive assessment considering the environmental and social impacts of a proposed action, including potential effects on World Heritage properties if relevant.

A change that could negatively impact the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) or other heritage/conservation values of a World Heritage property, potentially leading to its deterioration.

Specific rules or guidelines set by a nation or funding organization on how to evaluate the potential effects of a project on heritage sites.

A visual guide to determine the appropriate type of impact assessment needed for a proposed action based on its potential effect on a World Heritage property.

A formal evaluation of a project's potential impact on a World Heritage property, including its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other heritage/conservation values.

The World Heritage Committee's call for a thorough evaluation of a project's potential impact on a listed site's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and other heritage/conservation values.

A tool to identify essential information needed for a valid assessment of a World Heritage property's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).

The assessment needs to go beyond typical evaluations to fully explore and understand the World Heritage property's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).

Describes the current state of a World Heritage property, including its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), heritage values, boundaries, and surrounding environment.

The breakdown of the property's Outstanding Universal Value (OVU) should be included in management plans to guide all actions related to the property.

Comparing the current state of a World Heritage property with its condition at inscription helps identify changes and potential vulnerabilities to its Outstanding Universal Value.

Evaluating potential future changes, including those unrelated to the proposed project, to identify potential impacts on the World Heritage property's Outstanding Universal Value.

Considering the combined impacts of previous, current, and future actions on the World Heritage property's Outstanding Universal Value.

Identifying and evaluating unlikely but significant threats to the World Heritage property's Outstanding Universal Value, such as natural disasters or conflicts.