VII.12 Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia)
The Committee recalled that at its last session (Merida, 1996), it decided to retain this site on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to damage to the Park infrastructure and possible negative impacts due to over-visitation. The Bureau, at its twenty-first ordinary session held in June 1997, commended the Park authorities for having increased the total area of the Park to include the entire underground basin supplying the Park's lakes and streams. The Park had admitted and managed 270,000 visitors, using educational guided tours. The construction of a new sewage system will commence soon. The Director's view that Plitvice Lakes should no longer remain in the List of World Heritage in Danger, had been endorsed, via a letter dated 18 September 1997, by the Croatian Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.
The Committee commended the Croatian authorities for having undertaken measures to repair damage to the Park's infrastructure. The Committee decided to remove Plitvice from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Committee requested the Park management to expedite the reconstruction of the sewage system. In accordance with paragraph 66 of the Operational Guidelines, the Committee invited Croatia to nominate the extension of 100 km2, using standard nomination procedures as set out in paragraph 64 of the Operational Guidelines.