Sustainable development

For tourism, nature is an invaluable asset that provides economic and social benefits. Therefore, to benefit from the World Heritage designation, it is in the interest of businesses and communities to contribute to the protection and conservation of the ecological integrity of the Wadden Sea ecosystem. The Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation (TWSC) works towards increasing understanding and cooperation between nature conservation and the business sector. Our concept of sustainable use is based on the definition contained in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and reflected in the Wadden Sea Plan.

The overall policy objective is to further develop a consistent integrated trilateral management approach to the Wadden Sea ecosystem, based on the status of its protected areas and including sustainable use, aspects of landscape and cultural heritage and the integrity of the World Heritage Property.

Sustainable growth

The Interreg VB project "PROWAD LINK - Protect & Prosper" aims to unlock the potential of natural areas as a driver for jobs and sustainable development. We will do this by working with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop nature as a brand to create benefits both for SMEs and the environment. Partners in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom working with interested SMEs will use the “nature-business-benefit-cycle” concept to develop new, sustainable products and offers.

Sustainable tourism

A trilateral strategy on “Sustainable Tourism in the Wadden Sea World Heritage Destination”, as requested by the World Heritage Committee, was developed within the INTERREG IV B project "PROWAD - Protect & Prosper" and adopted by the Cooperation in 2014. Developed and now being implemented in cooperation with tourism stakeholders from the Wadden Sea Region, the trilateral strategy aims to enhance awareness of the obligation to protect the site’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), promote sustainable tourism and provide benefits for local communities.

The strategy’s implementation is coordinated and supported by the Wadden Sea Board’s Task Group Sustainable Tourism Strategy (TG-STS), which consists of representatives of ministries for the environment and economy, nature conservation agencies, tourism and marketing organizations, and green NGOs.

The Group was originally formed within the PROWAD project as support in cooperating with regional and local stakeholders within the existing regional working groups and networks.