Decision 39 COM 7B.15

Chitwan National Park (Nepal) (N 284)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.69, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Notes with significant concern that the proposed East-West Electric Railway and Terai-Hulaki Highway, if constructed, would result in the fragmentation of the property in four locations, all of which contain important habitat for key species, including elephant, rhino, tiger and gaur, and increase the risk of poaching;
4. Requests the State Party to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed Suspension Bridge (Balmikiashram-Trivenidham), and submit the EIAs for the East-West Electric Railway, the Tarai Hulaki Highway and the optical fibre project crossing the property to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN, ensuring that the EIAs include a specific assessment of the impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, as well as an assessment of cumulative impacts and alternative alignments that do not cross the property, as recognised under all its inscription criteria in conformity with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment;
5. Also requests the State Party to submit these EIAs and further details on the proposed projects to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and to ensure that no construction of infrastructure will be permitted if it could negatively impact on the OUV of the property;
6. Recalling the two recent years of zero rhino poaching in the property (2011 and 2013), further requests the State Party to provide an update on the status of poaching of rhino and other wildlife inside the property, in order to demonstrate the continued success of anti-poaching operations;
7. Requests furthermore the State Party to invite an IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, in order to review potential impacts from the abovementioned developments on its OUV, and to provide advice on alternative options for infrastructure development that would not have a negative impact on OUV;
8. Requests moreover the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session in 2017.