Protecting the South—Promoting the North? World Natural Heritage Status in the Global North and South

Since the World Heritage (WH) Convention was established in 1972, many sites have attained this prestigious conservation label. Today, World Natural Heritage (WNH) status is no longer only about conservation, but raises additional expectations in regard to tourism and regional development. Yet on a global scale, little is known about the effects of having WNH status. This article presents the results of a global survey carried out in 2012 of more than 60% of all WNH sites, and reveals remarkable findings: not only is the effectiveness of WNH status higher in the global South than in the global North, but these regional discrepancies are based on differences in the criteria used in granting WNH status, as well as dissimilar understandings of WNH status. The results highlight fundamental disparities in regard to WNH status and, as such, introduce issues that have so far not been part of the WNH discourse.