VII.35 Iguacu National Park (Brazil)
The Bureau at its twenty-first session learned that a local organisation had started a campaign to re-open a road, closed in 1986 to strengthen protection of the Park, and that in early May 1997, 800 people had invaded the Park and set up camp to begin unauthorised work to clear that road. IUCN informed the Bureau that the road has been closed, but plans to rehabilitate damaged areas were uncertain and political pressure to re-open the road still prevailed.
The Centre informed the Committee that a facsimile was received from the Brazilian authorities on 28 November 1997 with information from the Brazilian Institute for the Protection of the Environment (IBAMA) concerning the state of conservation of the site. The Delegate of Brazil stated that several actions have been undertaken, including socio-economic studies in the buffer zone, environmental awareness programmes and a revision of the Master Plan of the Park.
The Committee requested the Centre to write to the Brazilian authorities to invite the Government to continue its efforts with regard to the permanent closure of the road and future steps for rehabilitating damaged areas.