World Heritage Committee adopts Decision regarding the state of conservation of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site

During their 46th session, 21-31 July 2024 in New Delhi, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee adopted a report and decision regarding the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site prepared by the World Heritage Centre and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In the Decision WHC/24/46.COM/7B.Add.3 adopted on 25 July 2024, the World Heritage Committee acknowledged the joint response submitted by the three Wadden Sea states in February 2024 to the Committee’s last year’s requests (for detail on last year’s requests please see https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/twsc-statement-unesco-state-conservation-wadden-sea-world-heritage-site). It also welcomed the progress made by the states in jointly developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assess the cumulative impacts. The aim of the SEA is to examine the consequences and cumulative impacts of future programmes, plans and projects on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the World Heritage Site. The process of this complex task remains ongoing. The results should serve as a basis for future decisions. Finally, the Committee repeated concerns about the cumulation of plans and projects with potential negative impacts within, nearby or beneath the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site and requested the State Parties of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands to provide further and comprehensive information on specific issues.

Sascha Klöpper, Common Wadden Sea Secretariat: “I also share the raised concerns. Human activities in and around the Wadden Sea are not new, but the needed acceleration to reach the commitments for energy transition, the geopolitical situation in addition to other human uses and the effects from climate change like sea level rise have significantly increased the pressure on the ecosystem.”

The Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands supported by the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat will prepare a joint report to address the World Heritage Committee’s requests and respond to the raised concerns.

With the nomination of the Wadden Sea as a World Heritage Site, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany, all parties to the World Heritage Convention, have committed themselves to their duty to ensure the conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site. With the Trilateral Cooperation to protect the Wadden Sea commonly since 1978, the three Wadden Sea States enjoy a long tradition of safeguarding the ecosystem.

The World Heritage Committee Decision is available via this link: https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2024/whc24-46com-7B.Add3-en.pdf