UNESCO sites are home to more than 60 percent of known species of flora and fauna. UNESCO sites are a key factor in preserving biodiversity Climate and Environment
The UNESCO report, published on Tuesday, highlights the exceptional contribution of the Organization’s sites to both human well-being and the conservation of nature. While global wildlife populations have declined by 73 percent since 1970, they remain relatively stable in UNESCO protected areas. More than a thousand languages are spoken on these lands, and about a quarter of the sites include indigenous lands and territories.
The report, People and Nature at UNESCO Sites: Global and Local Contributions, is the first study to examine all categories of UNESCO sites (World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks) as a single network. It includes more than 2,260 sites with a total area of over 13 million square kilometers, which is larger than the size of China and India combined.
“The conclusions are clear: UNESCO sites serve the interests of both people and nature,” said UNESCO Director-General Khaled Al-Anani. “In these areas, communities thrive, human heritage is preserved, and biodiversity remains stable as it declines rapidly in other regions.”
Nature under pressure
According to the report, UNESCO sites are home to more than 60 percent of known species of flora and fauna, with about 40 percent of them are found nowhere else on the planet. These zones store about 240 gigatons of carbon—a volume comparable to two decades of global emissions if released. Each year, the forests of these sites account for about 15 percent of the carbon sequestered by forests worldwide.
Despite the global importance of these sites, they are under increasing pressure. Almost 90 percent of them are subject to high levels of environmental stress, and the frequency of climate hazards has increased by 40 percent in the last decade alone.
By 2050, over a quarter of UNESCO sites are at risk of reaching a tipping point, with potentially irreversible consequences. Failure to act decisively risks disappearing glaciers, collapsing coral reefs, excluding species, increasing water scarcity, and transforming forests from carbon sinks to carbon sinks
People and Livelihoods
The report also highlights the deep connection between nature and communities in these regions. In total, these sites are home to almost 900 million people—approximately 10 percent of the world’s population. More than a thousand languages are documented here, and at least 25 percent of the area is indigenous lands and territories. In Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, the figure reaches almost 50 percent. By comparing economic results with UNESCO sites and their surrounding areas, the report’s authors found that these areas produce about 10 percent of global GDP.
Unrealized potential
According to the report, timely action can significantly reduce future risks: every degree Celsius of warming averted could halve the number of UNESCO sites that face severe shocks by the end of the century. These areas also have untapped potential for shaping climate policy: while about 80 percent of national biodiversity plans include UNESCO sites, only five percent of national climate plans mention them.
The report calls for scaling up action across four priority areas: restoring ecosystems to strengthen their resilience, sustainable development through greater cross-border cooperation, and further integration UNESCO sites into global climate plans, and more inclusive governance with indigenous peoples and local communities.