​UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, with support from UNESCO, compile information sheets for all properties inscribed on the World Heritage List for natural or mixed (natural and cultural) reasons.

The natural World Heritage Datasheets have an illustrious past under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. They were part of the initial evaluation process when large printed nomination dossiers presented major challenges. Back in the days, for every nomination a fully condensed, unbiased and digested information sheet was requested by the Operational Guidelines, and meticulously compiled for field evaluators and desktop reviewers. Datasheets therefore played a central role in the official evaluation process.

Over the years, thanks to the digital revolution in the 1990s, nomination dossiers have become increasingly easier to access via the internet. As a result, the usefulness of the datasheets in the evaluation process was reduced and their main purpose shifted to providing a snapshot at the time of inscription or after major changes such as re-nominations, extensions or boundary modifications. Despite these changes, a wide range of stakeholders continued to value the datasheets as concise, impartial and authoritative records.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) are custodians of these datasheets. UNEP-WCMC undertakes the task of compiling newly inscribed natural World Heritage sites each year.