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The first update of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook will allow for changes in conservation status to be tracked in all listed natural sites by comparing results over time. Hundreds of experts are expected to take part in a rigorous consultation and review process.

Civil society organisations are joining IUCN’s efforts to boost the conservation of natural World Heritage sites facing major threats. The partnerships aim to take advantage of the knowledge provided by the IUCN World Heritage Outlook and translate it into action on the ground. Some pilot sites have been identified, including Dja Faunal Reserve, which is threatened by elephant poaching.

Today defines tomorrow: World Heritage as litmus test for action on agreements This piece by IUCN Director General Inger Andersen originally appeared on World Heritage, the official UNESCO publication from the World Heritage Centre, as part of a special edition on the IUCN World Conservation Congress . After the historic agreements on climate change and sustainable development achieved in 2015 at the Paris Climate Conference (COP21) and the...

New report confirms IUCN assessment of climate change as biggest threat to World Heritage Climate change is now the most significant risk for World Heritage sites and for the benefits they provide, including economic well-being through sustainable tourism, confirms a new report by UNESCO, UNEP and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in collaboration with IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. The new report offers a set of recommendations to...

Concerns over scale of threats to natural World Heritage confirmed by new report Nearly half of all natural World Heritage sites are threatened by industrial activities, according to a new report drawing heavily on data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s World Heritage Outlook. Activities such as mining, illegal logging, oil and gas exploration threaten 114 out of 229 natural World Heritage sites, according to the...

Nominate your Heritage Hero! Do you know someone who is doing outstanding conservation work for a natural World Heritage site? Would you like to see this person recognised for their exemplary contribution? If so, get in touch! Update: nominations are now closed IUCN is calling for nominations of Heritage Heroes – people who single-handedly take action to help conserve natural World Heritage sites in the face of imminent threats. Three to..

By Magali Rocamora, intern with IUCN’s World Heritage Programme.

New IUCN report tracks conservation in the Arab region's natural World Heritage sites TABE'A II , a report tracking the conservation status of natural World Heritage sites in the Arab region, has been launched at the 39th World Heritage Committee meeting in Bonn, Germany. This is an update of the 2011 TABE'A report, which provided pilot assessments for the recent IUCN World Heritage Outlook. Introduced in 2014, the IUCN World Heritage Outlook assesses for the...

Over 60% of natural areas inscribed on the World Heritage List are likely to be well conserved over time, while others face critical threats such as invasive species, impact of tourism, poaching, dams and logging, according to the IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2014 report released today at the IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney.

IUCN's World Heritage Monitoring Officer talks about the World Heritage Outlook, one of IUCN's latest and most exciting innovations. The new system provides for the first time assessments of all 228 natural World Heritage sites and their potential to maintain value over time. After launching worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org this summer in Doha at the 38th World Heritage Committee meeting, IUCN will present a report with global and regional results at the World Parks Congress in Sydney...