Journal Archive

Contrary to many agricultural rural residents the villagers in the Nandagudi/ Ramagovindapura area are well aware of the benefits of pollination and the need to protect indigenous species of pollinators. A report from Africa concludes that 20-30 colonies of Apis dorsata can deposit 800-1200kg of N₂ fertilizer per year spread in the defecation area (Annamalai, 2012). If substantiated, this is a significant source of “free” fertilizer, adding to the organic image desired for the area.

One of the project goals which will be proposed is to turn the WHS zone into a model organic farming area with on-going training sessions for residents on IPM (Integrated Pest Management), organic farming methods, vermiculture, composting and other bio-friendly techniques. Casual conversations with Bangalore residents indicate a willingness to travel to the area with the assurance of procuring high-quality, organically-produced food items. Bangalore, concurrent with its exponential growth, has a high percentage of upper-middle class residents willing to spend money for quality foods and honey. This will benefit the farmers and village residents by providing increased prices for organically-grown food items as well as the opportunities for medium to small business enterprises.

Beside the enhanced opportunities in the agricultural sector other economic opportunities exist. These can take the form of agro-tourism (spend a couple days on a rural farm in India), homestays, souvenir sales, handicrafts, local tour-guide services (encouraging school children to pursue English language and biodiversity studies) sales of services (food and snacks), local transportation (auto, bicycle rentals, horse carts, etc.) and farm gate sales of produce and honey.

If nominated and hopefully selected as a WHS the Nandagudi/Ramagovindapura bee trees will be unique as the world’s first honey bee WHS. On the western slope of the Southern Ural Mountain in Russia (Bashkortostan region) a current WHS, the “Bashkir Ural”, occupies a territory of about 450 square kilometers which encompasses a state entomological wildlife reserve “AltynSolok” (which means “golden bee tree”) designated to conserve and insure the traditional methods and techniques of beekeeping with local strains of Apis mellifera are preserved (Bashkortostan Republic info 2007). Its designation as a WHS includes other cultural and historical factors thus cannot be considered solely entomological.

The general public is woefully ignorant of the role that honey bees and their pollination efforts play in our lives and food security-by establishing the WHS at Ramagovindapura it will help raise awareness of the vital role of pollinators and the need to protect them. Information booklets and brochures would be made available as part of the outreach education effort. Schools could have field trips to the area and it could become a “tourist destination” especially for the environmentally-aware tourist segment.

When the authors first proposed the concept it seemed like a pretty straightforward task but after only a little checking we realized that it will be an onerous multi-year project with no guarantee of success. Consulting the web resources we found several booklets outlining the process; Preparing World Heritage site Nominations manual (138 pages), World Heritage Information Kit (32 pages), Operational Guidelines for the Implementation WHS convention (175 pages), plus sites offering international assistance- from which we plan to seek assistance. To quote from the WHS nominations manual - “Along with increasingly comprehensive requirements, the preparation of nominations has become an important, but rather complex process which requires a good understanding of the various requirements. The participation of local people in the nomination process is also essential to enable them to have a shared responsibility with the State Party in the maintenance of the property, and has to be strongly encouraged.” (UNESCO 2011).

“Lack of preparation time is the biggest enemy of successful nominations. Far too many are prepared against unrealistically short timeframes. It can take at least a year to set up appropriate support mechanisms and gather material, and a further year to write the nomination text and consult stakeholders. When research is needed, protection has to be achieved, and new management systems put in place and documented, so the process might take much longer. If the aim is a successful nomination that leads to inscription on the World Heritage List and longterm conservation and presentation of the property, a realistic timeframe should be allowed. Too often, lack of adequate preparation time leads to deferred or referred nominations, which is frustrating for States Parties, the World Heritage Committee and the Advisory Bodies. Sometimes political commitments are made which set an unrealistic timeframe for preparing a nomination, resulting in a nomination dossier which is inadequate and not ready for evaluation.” (Ibid).

The concept of “Outstanding Universal Value” is paramount and underpins the World Heritage Convention concept. The basic purpose of nominations is to describe what a property consists of, why it demonstrates potential Outstanding Universal Value, and how this value will be sustained, protected, conserved, managed, monitored and communicated.

The first step a country must take is to make an “inventory” of its important natural and cultural heritage sites located within its boundaries which are considered to be of cultural and/or natural heritage reflecting potential Outstanding Universal Values, and therefore suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List. It is then placed on the list for the particular country to submit for consideration as a WHS.

By preparing a Tentative List and selecting properties from it, a State Party can plan when to present each nomination dossier for a particular property. The World Heritage Centre offers advice and assistance to the State Party in preparing this dossier, which needs to be as comprehensive as possible, making sure the necessary documentation and maps are included. The nomination is submitted to the World Heritage Centre to check that it is complete. Once a nomination file is completed the World Heritage Centre sends it to the appropriate Advisory Body/ies for evaluation.

As the process moves forward there are several baseline tasks which must be done which will form a foundation for the proposal; they include but are not limited.

1) Defining the boundaries of the proposed area and the all-important buffer area.
2) PRA discussions with village stakeholders detailing their inputs.
3) Socio-economic impact studies.
4) Negotiations with Road Commissions to enhance accessibility.
5) Negotiations with village stakeholders as to their desires for an organic-based agricultural zone and community enforcement (if practical).
6) Promotion of the concept and garner of support from organizations, State bodies and individuals.
7) Scientific studies including, but not limited to, (perfect venue for University student research).
  a. Migration patterns of the dorsata.
  b. Flight range and forage patterns
  c. Value of pollination and fertility contribution.
8) More ideas.

To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of Outstanding Universal Value and meet at least one of ten criteria, as well as the relevant conditions of integrity and authenticity and requirements for protection and management.

The world heritage convention defines natural heritage as 1) Natural features consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations, which are of outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or scientific point of view; 2) Geological and physiographical formations and precisely delineated areas which constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation; or 3) Natural sites or precisely delineated natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty (UNESCO 2011).

The first category best reflect meeting the criteria in Nandagudi/ Ramagovindapura in the opinion of the authors. Briefly there are ten criteria for the selection of Cultural or Natural Heritage Sites, and three of which in the opinion of the authors pertain to Nandagudi/Ramagovindapura. Criterion (vii): contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. Criterion (ix): be outstanding examples representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. Criterion (x): contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of Outstanding Universal Value from the point of view of science or conservation (UNESCO 2011).