Monitoring Outstanding Universal Value: An Analysis of the Status of Natural World Heritage Sites in India

Abstract

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO’s) World Heritage Convention, adopted in 1972, encourages to identify and conserve unique and invaluable sites of global significance. These sites are recognized by their outstanding universal value (OUV). This article adapts takes up a detailed qualitative analysis on the status, trend and challenges of keeping intact the key OUV of five natural WHSs of India using a questionnaire survey, and respondents were forest frontline staff and community representatives. The Statement of OUV of each site was broken into more understandable components, and the important issues affecting these components were then assessed for their current condition and trend. Subsequently, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis was also carried out for each of the studied WHSs. The attributes of three out of five study sites are stable with a strong law and enforcement regime; they also have some concerns regarding limited manpower, anthropogenic disturbance and public engagement opportunities. For the remaining two sites, the current threats are a matter of concern and require continued and enhanced management strategies. We also recommend that the site-specific detailed management requirements of OUV need fine-tuning in the sites’ existing management plans. Finally, the outcome of the present assessment was compared with the IUCN World Heritage Outlook Report 2020.