Application of the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) for the Wadden Sea World Heritage property

Climate change is the fastest growing global threat to World Heritage. Many World Heritage properties around the world are already experiencing significant negative impacts, damage and degradation. The Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) is a methodology to rapidly assess climate change risk to World Heritage properties (natural, cultural, or mixed) by expert appraisal and based on the best-available climate science.

From 2019-2021, the CVI method was piloted in the Wadden Sea World Heritage property. The two phases of the CVI were conducted in two separate workshops of key international Wadden Sea experts representing different scientific and academic sectors: Phase 1 centred around the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, held in Hamburg, Germany (10-11 February 2020); Phase 2 on Community Vulnerability was held online (16-17 February 2021). This report summarises outcomes from both workshops.