UNESCO Designations: World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves

The relationship between international designations and the numerous national classifications of protected areas (PAs) are various, complex, often not really clarified by existing legal norms. This gives rise to a widely felt need for a deep multi-level investigation into the real distinction between the various concepts held and the practical implications of each designation, as well as for a comparative analysis of the diverse national and regional experiences and the identification of recommended models and best practices. In particular, some 40 years after the signing of the Paris Convention on Cultural and Natural Heritage and the launching of the Man & Biosphere Programme, it seems appropriate to reflect on the two principal UNESCO designations of "World Heritage Site" (WHS) and "Biosphere Reserve" (BR), as well as on related national practices of implementation. The process of classification of natural sites as WHSs or BRs, in fact continues, and international cooperation is beginning to favour, among other things, a broader use - through a network of space science and space technology partners - of satellite-based and remote sensing technologies to monitor their conservation.