Strict Nature Reserve
WHS that comprise or include a Strict Nature Reserve, a zone with the highest wilderness protection where human visitation, use and impacts are strictly controlled and limited to ensure protection. They are assigned to IUCN category Ia.
Connected Sites
| Site | Rationale | Link |
| Air and Téneré | Partly: Sanctuaire des Addax (visitor access unknown) | |
| Aldabra Atoll | Fully: Aldabra Special Reserve, "Tourism on Aldabra is restricted to day-time visitors from boats mooring outside the reef of the research station and there are strict visitor protocols" (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Andrefana Dry Forests | Partly: Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, "access to the Strict Nature Reserve is currently limited except for scientific purposes and guided tours" (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Archipiélago de Revillagigedo | Fully. "On Isla Socorro and Isla Clarión, there are facilities that belong to the Mexican Navy, and which can accommodate visitors if agreed in advance. Visitors tend to be scientific researchers or representatives from the Mexican government, and tourist numbers are limited. ... The property does also support a small and low-impact diving tourism trade. " (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Banc d'Arguin | Partly: Cap Blanc Integral Reserve. Visitor restrictions unknown. | |
| Central Sikhote-Alin | Partly: Sikhote-Alinskiy Nature Preserve (Zapovednik). No restrictions known. | |
| Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands | Partly: Kintrishi and Kobuleti Strict Nature Reserve. Access policies are unknown but they are visitable without special permits/tours according to the reviews. | |
| Cold winter deserts of Turan | Partly: 9 of the locations have the qualification Ia or similar (AB ev) | |
| Discovery Coast | Partly: Una Biological Reserve. Closed to visitors according to the official website. | |
| Gough and Inaccessible Islands | Fully: Gough Island Wildlife Reserve, Inaccessible Island Wildlife Reserve. "Access to both islands is prohibited unless written approval has been obtained from the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha, although cruise ships have begun to visit the seas around group. In 2003 there were 40 visitors only (IUCN, 2005). Landing on Gough is restricted to the coast next to the meteorological station, and on Inaccessible to Blendon Hall Bay, site of the old settlement and now of two guided tour landing sites." (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Heard and McDonald Islands | All of it. "Heard Island is visited infrequently by 2-3 short authorised landings a year of some 2-3 hours each, and occasional other visits, mostly unofficial. The McDonald Islands are hard to land on and are visited very rarely." | |
| Hubei Shennongjia | Fully. No restrictions seem to insist. "The property is currently well equipped to deal with visitors, with 350 tour guides, a museum, exhibition centre, 4 search and rescue centres, 95 viewing platforms, 17 shops, 45 parking lots, 48 washrooms and over 3,000 signs and notices." (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Laponian Area | Partly: Sjaunja Nature Reserve. Visitor access seems not to be restricted, as "A public road which bisects the World Heritage site runs via Sjaunja Reserve through Stora-Sjöfallet Park". (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Los Alerces National Park | Part: NP consists of areas zoned as de facto IUCN Category I areas. These include an “Intangible Area” (comparable to IUCN Category Ib) and a “Strict Nature Reserve” (Category Ia) adding up to 47.7% of the nominated area. (AB ev)" No visitor restrictions specified. | |
| Macquarie Island | Fully. "a limit of 750 tourists per year is allowed by the state Parks & Wildlife Service, though between 1990 and 2005, the average annual number of visitors was 334. The only access is by sea - some eight ships and yachts call per year - (Potter, 2007) and most of the island is closed so as not to disturb the wildlife. .... Visits are now by permit only, with care taken not to import any pathogens." (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Mount Nimba | Fully: Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve. ""Tourism is formally prohibited within the strict nature reserves, but occurs on a limited basis and in the Bossou Hills, a Biosphere Reserve Core Area." (UNEP-WCMC + IUCN outlook 2020: "In Guinea, UNDP supports the definition of an ecotourism strategy (2019-2024). The IREB implements a ecotourism program, including visits to the chimpanzees of Bossou as well as excursions to summit of Mount Nimba." | |
| Pantanal | Partly: Dorochê, Acuziral, Penha Private Natural Heritage Reserves. ""As to Private Reserves, Instituto Homem Pataneiro promotes visits to conservation units in the Amolar Mountains and one accommodation facility for visitors is located in PRNH Acurizal, in which the only permitted activities are research, environmental education and ecotourism." (IUCN Outlook) | |
| Primeval Beech Forests | Partly: Strict nature reserve of Gashi River, Prašuma Janj strict nature reserve, Karpatskiy Biosphere Reserve and others (see link). | |
| Putorana Plateau | Fully; no visitor restrictions seem to exist though numbers are low ("Within the Reserve itself, less than 500 people visited in 2005") | |
| Saryarka | Fully: "Korgalzhyn and Naurzum State Nature Reserves have benefited from long-term legal protection as strict nature reserves (IUCN Protected Area Management Category Ia)." (AB ev). Both are accessible on guided tours from visitor centers. | |
| Shiretoko | Partly: Onnebutsedake Wilderness Area. Restrictions unkown. | |
| Srebarna Nature Reserve | Fully. "There is a hide for viewing the pelicans, but tourism, hunting and commercial activities in the Reserve are strictly prohibited." (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Sub-Antarctic Islands | Fully (except marine parts); "All visitors must have a permit and be accompanied by a Department of Conservation officer who enforces a rigorous minimum impact code which includes great care not to import alien species, weeds or seeds. Visits are limited to very few places in the Auckland Islands (Enderby Island, Port Ross, Carnley Harbour), to Campbell Island and by 600 visitors a year at the large sites, and 150 a year at small sites." (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Sundarbans National Park | Fully. "Tourism is only permitted in the buffer zone except for Nethi Dhupani island located in the Western range of the National Park where regulated tourism (13 boats per day) is permitted" (IUCN Outlook 2020) | |
| Surtsey | Fully."The public is not allowed on Surtsey but there are overflights by helicopter, boat tours around the island, and cruise ships often pass nearby." | |
| Uvs Nuur Basin | Partly: Uvs Nuur Basin Strict Protected Area in Mongolia. "Environmental and ethnic tourism are beginning to develop. These are based on the scenery such as climbing on glaciated Mount Mongun-Taiga and on the nomadic lifestyle and its artifacts both present-day and historical. … But access to the basin is not easy, and a plan, management, infrastructure and facilities for tourism are not yet in place." (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Virgin Komi Forests | Partly: Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve. No restrictions known but tourism low. | |
| Volcanoes of Kamchatka | Partly: Kronotsky Strict Nature Reserve. "Kronotsky is mainly accessible only to scientists, plus approximately 3,000 tourists annually who pay a fee equivalent to US$700 to travel by helicopter for a single day's visit." (wiki) | |
| West Norwegian Fjords | Partly: Hyskjet Nature Reserve, Kallskaret Nature Reserve, Grånosmyrane Nature Reserve, Nordheimsdalen Nature Reserve, Bleia Nature Reserve (proposed). No visitor limitations seem to exist. | |
| Western Caucasus | Partly. Kavkazskiy State Biosphere Reserve. "Kavkazskiy Nature Reserve has been very isolated and parts are only easily reached by helicopter. There is limited ecotourism in peripheral areas, for the most part unquantified, but it is being promoted and is increasing fast." (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Western Tien-Shan | Partly. Aksu-Jabagly State Nature Reserve and Besh-Aral State Nature Reserve. Access does not seem restricted ("Aksu-Jabagy contains a visitor centre and one hotel, with more accommodation being constructed nearby. In 2010, there were just over 2,000 visitors to the site. ") | |
| Wrangel Island | Fully. " In the past some 200 a year used to arrive by boat and make short tours of the island’s coast and waters, outside the Reserve, guided by qualified scientists. A 13 sq.km area around the village is designated a recreational zone excluded from the Reserve and can be visited without restriction. The rest of the Reserve can only be visited with permission from the Reserve administration offices at Mys Shmidta near Pevek on the mainland (where a museum and visitor centre are proposed)." (UNEP-WCMC) | |
| Yakushima | Partly: Yakushima Wildlife Area within Yakushima NP. UNEP-WCMC has classification as Ia while AB ev speaks of a "Wilderness area" which suggests Ib. No visitor limitations seem to exist. |
Suggestions?
Do you know of another WHS we could connect to Strict Nature Reserve?
A connection should:
- Not be "self evident"
- Link at least 3 different sites
- Not duplicate or merely subdivide the "Category" assignment already identified on this site.
- Add some knowledge or insight (whether significant or trivial!) about WHS for the users of this site
- Be explained, with reference to a source