Karst and World Heritage status

Abstract

Approximately 50 karst sites are now inscribed on the World Heritage Register, but many of these are inscribed on the basis of their non-karst values. Karst systems, of course, have a very wide range of values in themselves, including their remarkable biodiversity and their cultural significance, sometimes spanning many thousands of years. Today, the World Heritage Committee and UNESCO have asked that consideration be given to determining both a strategy for the nomination of new sites and a basis for priority setting in the selection of potential sites. This paper reviews current trends and emerging new patterns in World Heritage selection, assessment and management, then summarises the values of current karst WHAs in the European region.