Trilateral Wadden Sea World Heritage Foundation, Exploring added value, strategy and organisation

Once the Danish part of the Wadden Sea has been accepted for the UNESCO World Heritage List (expected in 2014), the whole of the Wadden Sea will then be enlisted and this offers new opportunities and obligations for integrative and integral management to safeguard its Outstanding Universal Value. Actually a new transnational foundation is discussed that can promote and support the conservation of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Property and promoting its brand. This research explores the potential added values of such a foundation, by referencing it against the actual institutional landscape of Wadden Sea governance. Six added value components have been designated. Using World Heritage as an asset for sustainable socio-economic development. Achieving consistency in branding and deploying the rights of the UNESCO and Wadden Sea World Heritage logo’s. Involving private investors from the tourist industry, and the local and regional industry. Adequate involvement of NGO’s that play an important role in the development of collaborative structures that address the needs and obligations of the management of the world heritage site. Acquiring and redistributing funds to ensure that the Wadden Sea becomes an integral entity. The foundation could use European provisions and could apply for European projects to enhance the level of trans national cooperation. These added value component have been put together in a strategic framework that focuses on financial independency, high governance performance and participative democracy regarding the world heritage site.