People and nature in UNESCO-designated sites: Global and local contributions

World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves, and Global Geoparks form a unique global network of more than 2,260 sites across over 13 million km². These living landscapes support the livelihoods of some 900 million people worldwide —around 10% of the global population, including many Indigenous Peoples and local communities— while harbouring a significant share of global biodiversity and contributing to climate regulation.

This first global assessment shows that UNESCO-designated sites are delivering tangible results for both people and nature, even in the face of increasing pressures. They represent a resilient model in which human well-being and environmental protection advance together, and offer practical, place-based responses to the intertwined challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Within these landscapes, safeguarded over generations through local stewardship, monitored wildlife populations have remained stable on average, in stark contrast to the 73% global decline in monitored species since 1970.

By failing to act now, pressures will intensify and natural systems in more than one in four sites could reach critical tipping points by 2050, potentially undermining both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

Every 1°C of warming avoided could halve the number of sites exposed to major disruption by the end of the century. Scaling up integrated management, restoration, inclusive governance, and targeted policies, alongside increased investment, is essential to sustain and expand these proven approaches and strengthen their resilience.