UNESCO Sites Navigator
Geospatial intelligence for the world's most globally-significant places
Funded by the Flanders UNESCO Trustfund (FUT), the Netherlands Funds in Trust (NFiT), and the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, the UNESCO Sites Navigator is the dedicated Geographic Information System (GIS) for UNESCO’s key designated sites around the world.
The UNESCO Sites Navigator offers a comprehensive monitoring tool that visualises verified, georeferenced boundaries of World Heritage properties, Biosphere Reserves, and UNESCO Global Geoparks. It brings together nearly 50 relevant datasets, supporting enhanced monitoring through remote sensing and providing deeper insights into the sites. Fully integrated with the State of Conservation Information System for added contextual depth, the platform is also accessible on mobile devices, in order to support site-level monitoring and management (in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese).
The platform also played a key role in the development of People and nature in UNESCO-designated sites: Global and local contributions, UNESCO’s first intersectoral global assessment covering all its designated sites.
To get started, peruse this quickstart guide or check the tutorials below:
About the Navigator
The UNESCO Sites Navigator fulfils a longstanding need: a unified, publicly accessible online platform that offers trusted geospatial data to support the monitoring, management, and conservation of UNESCO designated sites.
Building on the World Heritage Online Map Platform (operational since 2023) and other internal tools, the UNESCO Sites Navigator enhances understanding of site boundaries, facilitating early identification of risks and helping States Parties monitor the conservation status of sites within their territories. It currently provides authoritative spatial data for World Heritage properties, Biosphere Reserves, and UNESCO Global Geoparks, and is particularly valuable for the integrated management of multi-designated sites.
The development and refinement of the platform are ongoing. World Heritage polygons not yet featured either await submission by the relevant State Party/Parties or remain under review by UNESCO. Data for Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks is managed and updated by their respective secretariats. The Navigator’s interface and tools are also being progressively enhanced.
Guidelines on the provision of geospatial World Heritage data are available to States Parties to assist, as needed, in the digitisation of World Heritage boundaries and buffer zones.
If you would like to contact the platform team, please write to [email protected].
Key Functions
Monitoring and Management
Support informed decision-making for the protection and sustainable management of UNESCO designated sites, via a reliable, centralised geospatial platform accessible to all stakeholders.
Early Warning for Hazards
Strengthen monitoring and early warning capabilities, with near real-time satellite integration and automated alerts highlighting potential hazards—especially those linked to climate change.
Bringing Designations Together
Promote integrated management and visibility of sites with multiple designations, by displaying their official boundaries and site-specific attributes within a single interactive system.
Quality and Consistency
Improve the quality, consistency and accessibility of official site boundary data, supporting informed planning, impact assessments, and intersectoral collaboration (e.g., in relation to No-Go commitments or renewable energy related projects).
The World Heritage Centre thanks the Government of Flanders (Belgium), the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Sweden and the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund for their support to the development of the UNESCO Sites Navigator. The UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund is funded by: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Kingdom of Norway, the Government of Canada, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the French Republic, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Estonia, ANA Holdings INC, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Serbia. The World Heritage Centre thanks the MAEASAM project for its help in the collection of GIS data in the Africa region.
