UNESCO’s Natural World Heritage Centre in Doon remains ‘invisible’

Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritages are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. What makes the concept of world heritage exceptional is its universal application. World heritage sites belong to all the people of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are.

The 195 members strong UNESCO headquartered in Paris, France working to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and people, based upon respect for commonly shared values actively works towards protecting the world’s cultural and natural heritage properties that have an exceptional universal value.

In its bid to protect worlds cultural and natural heritage properties the UNESCO World Heritage List comprises a total of 1007 properties in 161 countries that holds universal value. Of these, 779 are cultural monuments and 197 as natural monuments. A further 31 sites belong to both categories. The properties selected for the World Heritage List show the wealth and diversity of the Earth’s cultural and natural heritage and based on the revolutionary idea to entrust humanity with this heritage.

In India of the 32 properties, 25 listed as cultural sites while 07 as natural site. A comprehensive list of heritage properties in India are the following: Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Taj Mahal, Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Sun Temple, Konârak, Kaziranga National Park (Natural Site), Keoladeo National Park (Natural Site), Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (Natural Site), Churches and Convents of Goa, Fatehpur Sikri, Group of Monuments at Hampi, Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Elephanta Caves, Great Living Chola Temples 12, Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, Sundarbans National Park (Natural Site), Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (Natural Site), Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, Qutab Minar and its Monuments, Delhi, Mountain Railways of India, Mahabodhi, Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Champaner, Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), Red Fort Complex, The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Western Ghats (Natural Site), Hill Forts of Rajasthan, Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (Natural Site) and Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat.

Of the 07 natural heritage sites, Uttarakhand’s Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park is also recognized.

The Category 2 Centre related to World Heritage work under a very comprehensive strategic frame-work and in a coordinated way. Their activities expected to give to the World Heritage Strategy for Capacity Building as well as to the policies and programmes agreed by the governing bodies of the Convention that is the General Assembly of the States Parties and the World Heritage Committee. They are in constant touch with the World Heritage Centre and take part in many initiatives and programmes related to World Heritage, notably the Periodic Reporting. These Centres meet regularly among themselves to share their experiences and harmonize their activities.

In recent years, the framework for training and research in the field of World Heritage has changed much. Among the factors that have contributed to these rapid changes, is the emerging of many new institutions now offering capacity building within the World Heritage context. In this regard, a major development has been the establishment, in various regions of the world, of capacity building institutions granted the status of "category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO", dealing specifically with World Heritage.

UNESCO’s Centre on ‘Natural World Heritage’ fosters international co-operation to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world.

The nine World Heritage related Category 2 Centres established so far by UNESCO are in Norway, China, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Bahrain, Spain, Italy and most recently one such Centre set up in India at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

While UNESCO has established World Heritage Centres in South Africa, Spain, Italy, China, Bahrain, Brazil, Mexico and Norway, these are only for conservation of cultural heritage. The setting up of UNESCO’s first centre in the world for conservation of Natural World Heritage at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun is an unprecedented step towards protection and conservation of around 67 Natural World Heritage sites across the 50 countries in Asia and the Pacific region and identification of potential sites with outstanding universal value to make sure their safeguard as future World Natural Heritage Sites.

Though not legally part of the Organization, these Institutes and Centres associated with UNESCO through formal arrangements approved by the General Conference. The choice based on the strength of their specialization in one of UNESCO's fields of competence. Through capacity-building, knowledge sharing and research, they offer a valuable and unique contribution to implementation of UNESCO's strategic programme objectives for the benefit of Member States.

With an important mission to strengthen implementation of world heritage convention by building capacity of all those professionals and bodies involved with world natural heritage site inscription, protection, conservation and management in Asia and the Pacific Region, through training, research, dissemination of information and network building has this Centre been set up. The goal is to focus on natural heritage conservation issues with the aim to give towards strengthening of capacities in managing Natural World Heritage in the region and to achieving a more balanced representation of properties from Asia and the Pacific on the World Heritage List.

This UNESCO Category 2 Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and Training for Asia and the Pacific Region was formally inaugurated last year by Prakash Javadekar, Minister, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India. As a first of its kind this Centre holds great esteem for India and Uttarakhand and specially Dehradun where it is set-up.

It was in December 2012 that a feasibility study was undertaken by a UNESCO expert, including a mission to India, to assess the proposal in the light of the requirements for Category 2 Centres as set out in the integrated comprehensive strategy for capacity building. The feasibility study confirmed the great potential for setting the proposed Centre, which would fill a gap in the region. The Director-General UNESCO accepted the proposal for establishing of a Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and Training for Asia and the Pacific region in Dehradun, India, as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO and observed that establishing the proposed Centre at the Wildlife Institute of India could be of great benefit to UNESCO, to Member States in the region, and to the international community.

The need for this centre aggravated as the issue of natural heritage conservation in Asia and the Pacific region has faced many challenges in recent years as a result of extreme pressure exerted on natural ecosystems. These pressures are result of high density of the population, risk of catastrophic disasters, economic growth and persistent poverty.

According to UNESCO the Centre needs to effectively give to the strengthening of capacities in managing World Natural Heritage in the region; give to the achieving of a more balanced representation of properties from Asia and the Pacific on the World Heritage List; raise awareness of World Natural Heritage and of the need to protect it among the public and the youth in particular; foster international cooperation on World Natural Heritage initiatives’.

To meet the above goals, the Centre is to do the following main functions:

- conduct short and long-term capacity building programmes, including workshops, courses and international conferences; undertake research on identified priority issues related to World Natural Heritage protection and management, with particular focus on models of community participation;

-develop and keep up a documentation centre accessible to the public on World Natural Heritage issues relevant to the region;

-implement programmes for the exchange of experts with other regional resource centre; and coordinate its activities with the States Parties, the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies of the World Heritage Convention and the network of existing Category 2 Centre related to World Heritage.

For UNESCO this is a big crusade in a bid to protect sites that are outstanding demonstrations of human coexistence with the land as well as human interactions, cultural coexistence, spirituality and creative expression.

Amidst such an importance agenda laid before these UNESCO Centres, a big missing link is visibility of the Dehradun Centre besides it being a stand alone one in the region. Hardly anyone other than those directly related to it know of its existence.

With almost a year since it came to being there has been a total lack of awareness drive by the Wildlife Institute of India to showcase this unique Centre’s capabilities and activities. Why? Everyone wants an answer.

The need of awareness creation about the natural world heritage conservation, education and its various programmes need wide dissemination among the public at large and particularly the youth as they are the future torch bearers of the mission in front of these Centres. The Uttarakhand government needs to check why this lack-lustre attitude of furthering the Centres mission by those governing it here. The activities of this Centre needs to come out of the four walls of its building and the society at large be involved where-ever possible to further its vision and mission. A handful of those running this Centre cannot do wonders alone!