Marine World Heritage and the Quest for Sustainability

Abstract

This paper discusses the contribution of marine sites of outstanding universal value, enlisted as natural and mixed sites in the World Heritage List, to the sustainability of marine resources and protection schemes. Departing from the strict application of the Convention's criteria, the management requirements and good practices will be discussed, with emphasis on the dissemination of the latter in other (non)protected areas as well as its contribution, in terms of the integrity principle to be met, to the expansion of this approach in areas beyond national jurisdiction through the development of synergies with existing and emerging marine environment protection regimes.

Living conditions and coping strategy of coastal communities contribute to the environmental integrity at the world heritage site of Dungonab Bay Mukkawar Island Marine National Park at the Sudanese Red Sea coast

“…The role of heritage as a driver of sustainable devel-opment in WHS has been emphasised since 2002 in Budapest Declaration (Conradin and Wiesmann 2014) and has widely been acknowledged (Baycan and Girard 2011;UNCSD 2012). The OUV is considered an economic asset capable of stimulating sustainable development activities, while at the same time its management and restoration activities may contribute to new employment opportunities (Zervaki 2016). Therefore, benefits of WNH sites may extend well beyond the spatial boundaries of the WNH itself (Conradin and Hammer 2016) and well into the future.…”

“…However, it has also been acknowledged that economic growth is not an immediate consequence of recognising a site as a WNH (UNESCO 2012; Cellini and Cuccia 2016). This is because the achievement of sustainable development in heritage sites is also governed by other factors such as governance, management plans, income and economic interests (Zervaki 2016;Din et al 2017;Ripp and Rodwell 2017). Sudan has four WHS, two cultural and terrestrial and two natural and marine.…”