UNESCO
World Heritage
Forests
Forests are some of the most biodiversity-rich habitats on Earth. They play a crucial role in climate regulation by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and are considered as one of the most cost-effective forms of climate action.
They are also vitally important for human well-being and survival. It is estimated that around 1.6 billion people - including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures - depend on forests for their livelihoods, medicine, fuel, food and shelter.
As of today, more than 200 World Heritage sites harbor unique forest ecosystems. Ranging in size from 18 hectares (Vallée de Mai, Seychelles), to more than 5 million hectares (Central Amazon Conservation Complex, Brazil), World Heritage forest sites now have a total surface area of over 69 million hectares (roughly twice the size of Germany).
69
million hectares of forest cover
(roughly twice the size of Germany)
190
million tonnes of carbon dioxide absorbed (net)
from the atmosphere each year
(equivalent to approximately half of the United Kingdom’s annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels)
13
billion tonnes of carbon stored in trees and soil (more carbon than Kuwait’s proven oil reserves)
10
World Heritage forests
were net carbon sources from 2001 to 2020 due to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, including climate change
The World Heritage Convention is uniquely positioned amongst international conventions, programmes and agencies to play a leading role for in-situ conservation of forest biodiversity and has been particularly active in the Congo Basin’s forests through two initiatives:
and the Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initiative (CAWHFI)
- Biodiversity Conservation in Regions of Armed Conflict: Protecting World Heritage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Business Skills for Natural World Heritage Site Managers programme
- Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initiative (CAWHFI)
- Linking Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Tourism at World Heritage Sites
- Natural World Heritage
Documents
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Author: UNESCO, World Heritage Centre
Subject: Business Planning for Natural World Heritage Sites – A Toolkit ">Business Planning for Natural World Heritage Sites – A Toolkit - Author: UNESCO World Heritage Centre ">Case Studies on Climate change and World Heritage (2009 Edition)
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Author: Marc Patry
Subject: A list of forest protected areas around the world, generated in various expert meetings. ">Forests Warranting Further Consideration as Potential World Heritage Sites -
Author: World Heritage Centre
Keywords: Forest,forests
Subject: World Heritage Forests ">Paper 21, World Heritage Forests -
Author: mariam
Subject: Held at St. Petersburg, Russia, October 2003. ">Proceedings of the World Heritage Boreal Zone Workshop -
Author: Devendra Pandey
Keywords: Forest carbon REDD ">Table: Carbon stock of WHF sites 2012 -
Author: Marc Patry
Subject: The state of conservation of individual World Heritage Forests, along with statistics on the global WH Forest network. ">The State of Conservation of the World Heritage Forest Network (2005) -
Author: CIFO
Keywords: forêt,forêts
Subject: World Heritage Forest ">The World Heritage Convention as a mechanism for conserving tropical forest biodiversity -
Author: Marc Patry
Subject: Indicators on the intensity of threats facing individual World Heritage Forests. ">Threat Intensities for World Heritage Forests 2001-2006 -
Author: Devendra Pandey
Keywords: Carbon Forest REDD ">WH Forest Carbon Content 2012 -
Author: Marc Patry
Subject: A discussion on how World Heritage status can contribute to forest conservation. ">What Value Added from World Heritage Forests? -
Author: M. Patry
Keywords: )
Subject: World Heritage Forest Indicators ">World Heritage Forest Indicators - Author: Conrad Aveling ">World Heritage in the Congo Basin
- COP26 UN Climate Change Conference: progress for UNESCO natural World Heritage 12-Nov-2021
- New research quantifies climate benefits from UNESCO World Heritage forests 28-Oct-2021
- International Day of Forests 2020 21-Mar-2020
- Rosewood Poaching Turns Violent; Rapid Response Facility Provides Emergency Support 17-May-2013
- 10.5 billion tonnes of carbon stored in World Heritage forest sites 18-Sep-2012