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The International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the auspices of UNESCO was proposed to UNESCO by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in May 2007. Since its inauguration in July 2011, HIST has played a vital role in assisting UNESCO and its Member States in the conservation of UNESCO-designated sites. World Heritage sites, Biosphere reserves and UNESCO Global Geoparks are three primary categories of UNESCO-designated sites. [Extracted from the article]

The alpine treeline, as an ecological transition zone between montane coniferous forests and alpine meadows (two ecosystem states), is a research hotspot of global ecology and climate change. Quantitative identification of its elevation range can efficiently capture the results of the interaction between climate change and vegetation. Digital extraction and extensive analysis in such a critical elevation range crucially depend on the ability of monitoring ecosystem variables and the suitability of the experimental model, which are often restricted by the weak intersection of disciplines and the spatial-temporal continuity of the data. In this study, the existence of two states was confirmed by frequency analysis and the Akaike information criterion (AIC) as well as the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) indices. The elevation range of a transition for the two ecosystem states on the northern slope of the Bogda was identified by the potential analysis. The results showed that the elevation range of co-occurrence for the two ecosystem states was 2690–2744 m. At the elevation of 2714 m, the high land surface temperature (LST) state started to exhibit more attraction than the low LST state. This elevation value was considered as a demarcation where abrupt shifts between the two states occurred with the increase of elevation. The identification results were validated by a field survey and unmanned aerial vehicle data. Progress has been made in the transition identification for the ecosystem states along the elevation gradient in mountainous areas by combining the remotely-sensed index with a potential analysis. This study also provided a reference for obtaining the elevation of the alpine tree line quickly and accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of tourism in the World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHSs), it made ecological environment issues increasingly become prominent while boosting regional economic development. Exploring the influence and evolution of natural and socio-economic factors will help to maintain the authenticity and integrity of the WNHSs, and promote sustainable development. Here, to better understand the sustainable development situation of the WNHSs, we construct a nature-society-based comprehensive evaluation framework, and combining the remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEI) with the spatial autocorrelation model, and employed the obstacle factor diagnostic model, to reveal the spatial–temporal characteristics and the key driving factor of ecological environment in the Jiuzhaigou. Meanwhile, we assess the integrated ecological sensitivity of the Jiuzhaigou and determine the key conservation area. Through the analysis of results, we find that RSEI from 2013 to 2020 exhibits a fluctuation trend resembling an "N-shape", high RSEI points tend to cluster in the southern part of the study area, while low RSEI points cluster in the northern part, it has a significant spatial heterogeneity. We shed further light on that when the number of tourists exceeds the population carrying capacity of the heritage site, the negative impacts of tourism development on the natural environment will outweigh the positive impacts of tourism revenue growth on regional economic development and constrain the sustainable development of the site as a whole. Specifically, dissolved oxygen concentration in water, nitrogen dioxide concentration, and noise are the main drivers of nature. The proportion of tertiary industry, fixed asset investment, and total tourism consumption are the main drivers of society. Furthermore, the ecological sensitivity of Jiuzhaigou is moderately low. Therefore, we suggest that the government should improve and refine the existing disaster early warning mechanism, dynamically adjust and control the number of tourists received per day, harmonize the relationship between economic development and environmental protection, and strengthen the protection of authenticity and integrity in areas of high ecological sensitivity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent increases in urbanization and tourism threaten the viability of UNESCO world heritage sites across the globe. The Angkor world heritage site located in southern Cambodia is now facing such a challenge. Over the past two decades, Angkor has seen over 300,000% growth in international tourist arrivals, which has led to uncontrolled development of the nearby city of Siem Reap. This study uses remote sensing and GIS to comprehend the process of urban expansion during the past 14 years, and has applied the CA-Markov model to predict future urban expansion. This paper analyzes the urban pressure on the Angkor site at different scales. The results reveal that the urban area of Siem Reap city increased from 28.23 km2 in 2004 to 73.56 km2 in 2017, an increase of 160%. Urban growth mainly represented a transit-oriented pattern of expansion, and it was also observed that land surfaces, such as arable land, forests, and grasslands, were transformed into urban residential land. The total constructed land area in the core and buffer zones increased by 12.99 km2 from 2004 to 2017, and 72% of the total increase was in the buffer zone. It is predicted that the built-up area in Siem Reap is expected to cover 135.09 km2 by 2025 and 159.14 km2 by 2030. The number of monuments that are most likely be affected by urban expansion is expected to increase from 9 in 2017 to 14 in 2025 and 17 in 2030. The urban area in Siem Reap has increased dramatically over the past decade and monuments continue to be decimated by urban expansion. This paper urges closer attention and urgent actions to minimize the urban pressure on the Angkor site in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sustainable Development Situation in World Natural Heritage Sites. • A general comprehensive assessment indicators system. • Resident income is highly correlated with tourism. • The government intervention is effective in Jiuzhaigou. • After the earthquake, the level of coupling coordination dropped. To continue directing global sustainable development efforts from 2015 to 2030, the United Nations adopted 17 global development goals known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from 2000 to 2015 expired. Sustainable development of World Natural Heritage Sites is one of these 17 MDGs and a crucial step toward achieving global sustainability. A scientific and systematic indicator system that can measure the sustainable development of natural World Heritage Sites more objectively and fairly is urgently needed to support the establishment of SDG11.4 on a Chinese scale and to help with the subsequent promotion of the development of natural World Heritage Sites. This study proposes a comprehensive assessment indicator system for the sustainable development of natural heritage sites based on the theoretical framework of "value contribution-environmental effect" to quantify the sustainable development of natural heritage sites. The study is based on the ecological environment and regional economic and social data of Jiuzhaigou World Natural Heritage Site from 2010 to 2020. Finally, the degree of coupling and coordination between the natural environment and economic development is assessed and studied. The results show that tourism to the World Heritage Site drove rapid economic development in Jiuzhaigou County between 2010 and 2020. As the fame of the World Heritage Site Jiuzhaigou has grown, so has the per capita income of local locals, making them unduly reliant on tourists for a living. Meanwhile, both the 2017 earthquake and the COVID-19 epidemic in 2019 have had substantial detrimental effects on the local economy. Furthermore, the Jiuzhaigou sustainable development trend from 2010 to 2020 exhibits a "W-shaped" curve, and there is a high level of positive coupling between the Jiuzhaigou sustainable development trend and economic development, and the two are mutually reinforcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of Angkor World Heritage site (Cambodia) has been of increasing concern due to rapid socioeconomic development of the surrounding region including the booming city of Siem Reap. We interpret findings from satellite radar interferometry (InSAR) motion fields for the period 2007–2017 to derive new insights into the dynamics of the relationship between land subsidence, groundwater extraction and monument stability. Evolution of motion trends along with hydraulic heads indicated that the surface in the archaeological zone was stable up to 2011, followed by a mild subsidence during 2011–2017, primarily impacted by unregulated tourism development. Spatially decline of groundwater table beneath Siem Reap City could, in the future, threaten the stability of monuments. We developed a model that predicted that surface subsidence in the central archaeological zone could reach up to −3.6 to −3.8 mm/yr by 2021 if a 6% annual increase of tourists and the resulting demand for groundwater resources continued. A tourism carrying capacity below 2.5 million per year may be sustainable to prevent the emergence of hydrological problems that could exacerbate the risk of significant land subsidence and consequences for monument stability. This study is a clear illustration of the value of InSAR space-eye combined with ground-based measurements for monitoring potential hazards and modelling conservation states of World Heritage sites in order to improve preparedness critical for mitigating future threats. • Understanding of the water crisis and sustainability of Angkor site is challenging. • Satellite InSAR and ground-based data evaluate the over-tourism impact in Angkor. • Surface motions and hydraulic heads indicate the emergence of hydrological problems. • The developed model predicts future motion trends in the archaeological landscape. • This study demonstrates the value of InSAR-eye in monitoring heritage sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]