affecting the properties
Within the framework of the revision of the questionnaire of the Periodic Reporting exercise (Section II) in 2008, the World Heritage Committee adopted a standard list of factors affecting the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties.
This list was established following a 2-year consultation process with experts in both fields of natural and cultural heritage. It consists of a series of 14 primary factors, encompassing each a number of secondary factors.
In the state of conservation reports examined by the World Heritage Committee, threats affecting the Outstanding Universal Value of the properties are indicated in a narrative form (e.g. “to evaluate the seriousness of the threat posed by the proliferation of Typha australis and other invasive aquatic species” in the 2005 report on Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary – Senegal) to be as precise as possible and site-specific.
However, to have a consistent approach for all the properties examined throughout the different processes, the regions of the World and the categories of heritage (natural, mixed and cultural), the treatment of those factors/threats requires certain homogeneity. For this reason, the standard list of factors/threats identified in Section II of the Periodic Reporting was also used in the State of conservation Information System, and each narrative description of a threat in a state of conservation report was linked into the corresponding standardized factor. For example, the above-mentioned threat for Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary in Senegal, was linked to the standard factor: “Invasive / alien freshwater species”. This standardization makes the analysis of potential trends over the years or across regions more consistent.
Lastly, it is worth noting that in the online Information System on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties, the threats are presented in alphabetical order, irrespective of their type (“ascertained danger” or “potential danger”). Should the property be threatened by serious and specific danger, the World Heritage Committee can decide to inscribe this property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The 14 primary threats
The standard list of threats/factors affecting the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties consists of a series of 14 primary factors, encompassing each a number of secondary factors.
For example:
- Urban high rise/urban sprawl
- Encroachment/changes to skyline etc.
For example:
- Skyscrapers
- Large shopping malls
- Encroachment/changes to skyline etc.
For example:
- Individual factories
- Industrial areas/parks
- Encroachment/changes to skyline etc.
For example:
- Major accommodation and associated infrastructure (hotels, restaurants, golf courses, ski resorts, etc.)
- Major/permanent high cost tourism facilities (pontoons, jetties, observatories, cable cars, chalets, fully serviced camping areas, etc.)
For example:
- Visitor interpretive facilities (visitor centre, site museum, etc.)
- Signage etc.
- Trail hardening, (trail markers etc.)
- Information booths etc.
- Minor picnic facilities
- Minor camping areas
- Moorings/marker buoys
For example:
- Roads
- Car parks
- Railways, including easements
- Transport depots
For example:
- Airports
- Airstrips
For example:
- Harbour & port facilities
For example:
- Effects of vehicle traffic on roadways
- Effects of shipping traffic in shipping routes
- Effects of air traffic
Developments in relation to infrastructure for energy utilities (i.e. gas, electricity and water) and other service requirements
For example:
- Dams
- Locks
- Weirs
- Water tanks
- Pumping stations
- Introduction of new systems/ infrastructure
For example:
- Thermal
- Wave
- Solar
- Wind
For example:
- Nuclear power plants
- Coal power plants
- Oil/gas facilities
For example:
- Incinerators
- Cell phone towers
- Sewerage works
- Microwave/TV/radio towers
For example:
- Power lines/easements
- Pipelines etc.
- Channels
All types of pollution (residential or commercial) as well as garbage, solid waste.
For example:
- Ocean dumping
- Bilge water discharge
- Solid debris in marine environments
For example:
- Oil/chemical spills
- Industrial effluent
- Agricultural runoff
- Household sewage/waste
- Acid sulphate soils
- Effluent discharge
- Mine/tailings runoff
For example:
- Acid rain
- Mine/tailings runoff
- Agricultural runoff
For example:
- Excessive smoke or other airborne particulates
- Dust
- Local effects of emissions from use of fossil fuels
For example:
- Mine tailings
- Litter
- Industrial waste
- Household rubbish
For example:
- Any inputs of heat and light that disturb ecosystems including inappropriate urban lighting, heat pollution, etc.
The collecting/harvesting of wild plants and animals (forestry, fishing, hunting and gathering) and harvesting domesticated species (silviculture, agriculture and aquaculture)
For example:
- Trawling
- Netting
- Line fishing
- Game fishing
- Collection/harvest fisheries
- Spearfishing
- By-catch/incidental take issues
For example:
- Marine
- Freshwater aquaculture
For example:
- Agriculture (crops and livestock)
- Rural
- Forestry
For example:
- Grazing on farms or by pastoral groups
For example:
- Deep ploughing
- New crops
- Intensification of planted agriculture
- Traditional crops
- Traditional systems
- Gardening
For example:
- Pharmaceutical trade
- Medicinal plants
- Fodder collection
- Thatching
- Mushrooms
- Bulbs etc.
Use this question for Indigenous subsistence hunting, gathering and collecting, i.e. not for economic benefit, for example:
- Food plants
- Medicinal plants
- Fodder collection
- Thatching
- Mushrooms
- Bulbs etc.
For example:
- Bush meat trade
- Organised game hunting
Subsistence, i.e. not for economic benefit, hunting. Use “Indigenous hunting, gathering and collecting” to indicate factors relating specifically to Indigenous hunting, gathering and collecting
For example:
- Logging
- Pulp production
- All silvicultural operations
- Restoration/regeneration
- Sustainable wood harvesting
If illegal see “Other human activities”
For example:
- Rock
- Sand
- Aggregates
Environmental or biological factors that promote or contribute to deterioration processes of the fabric of heritage sites. Since effects of decay cannot be attributed to a single factor, consider all elements.
Use “Air pollution” for air pollution.
Use “Climate change and severe weather events” for severe weather, including flooding.
For tourism activities “Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation”.
For example:
- Erosion
- Vibration
Social factors that contribute to deterioration processes of the fabric of heritage sites. Some uses might have a positive impact as they enhance certain values (e.g. ritual, religious) while others might compromise ascribed values and could lead to the deterioration of the heritage site.
Use “Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure” and “Interpretative and visitation facilities” for impacts of tourism infrastructure and tourism activities in “Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation”.
For example:
- Ritual/spiritual/religious uses and associations
- Festivals/performances
For example:
- Changes in values leading to new uses of heritage resources
- Expansions of / additions to current uses of heritage resources
- Conflicting values
- Abandonment
For example:
- Loss of traditional knowledge and practices linked to heritage
For example:
- Changes to identity and social cohesion
- Changes in livelihoods
- Migration to or from site
- Changes in local population and community
For example:
- Inappropriate/non-existent interpretation (not an impact)
- High levels of visitation
- Increase of vendors inside/outside site
- Building community support, sustainable livelihoods
Note Use “Social/cultural uses of heritage” for impacts on local communities
For example:
- Illegal extraction of biological resources (i.e. poaching)
- Blast fishing, cyanide fishing
- Illegal extraction of geological resources (mining/fossils)
- Illegal trade
- Illegal occupation of space
- Illegal excavations
- Illegal construction
- Looting
- Theft
- Treasure hunting
- Ghost nets (discarded fishing gear)
For example:
- Vandalism
- Graffiti
- Politically motivated acts
- Arson
For example:
- Tornadoes
- Hurricanes/cyclones
- Gales
- Hail damage
- Lightning strikes
- River/stream overflows
- Extreme tides
For example:
- Changes to water flow and circulation patterns at local, regional or global scale
- Changes to pH
- Changes to temperature
For example:
- Altered fire regimes
- High impact fire suppression activities
- Lightning strikes
For human-induced fires, see “Other threats” below
For example:
- Fish stocking
- Inappropriate plantings
- Introduced soil etc.
- Dieback due to pathogens
For example:
- Weed
- Feral animal
- Rodent
- Insect pest
- Bird pest
- Disease/parasite
- Micro-organism
For example:
- Weeds
- Invertebrate pests
- Fish pests
- Diseases/parasites
- Micro-organisms
For example:
- Weeds
- Invertebrate pests
- Fish pests
- Diseases/parasites
- Micro-organisms
Naturally occurring species impacting ecosystem by virtue of ecological imbalance
For example:
- Visitor surveys
- Water sampling
- Non-extractive surveys
- In-situ surveys
For example:
- Sampling using destructive techniques
- Research involving removal of features or species (i.e. extraction)
Any additional factor not already covered by the list above.