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State of Conservation (SOC)

Galápagos Islands (1994)

UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds
International Assistance granted to the property

Requests Approved: 0 (from1979-1994)
Total Amount Ap proved: 405,350USD

1994   Fire figthing equipment for Galapagos   50,000  USD
1992   Revision of the management plan for Galapagos Islands   29,000  USD
1992   One fellowship for an officer from the Galapagos National Park to ...   3,100  USD
1992   Support to 3 resource persons and organization of a training ...   15,000  USD
1992   Financial contribution to a training course organized by the ...   20,000  USD
1990   Training in Costa Rica of one specialist from the Galapagos ...   2,000  USD
1990   Study to investigate the impacts of tourism on Galapagos National ...   14,000  USD
1989   Purchase of 2 motor-boats and spare parts, as well as repair and ...   59,500  USD
1989   Financial contribution to the Charles Darwin Foundation for the ...   20,000  USD
1989   One study grant enabling the superintendent of Galapagos National ...   4,000  USD
1988   Purchase of 4 boats for strengthening the protection of Galapagos ...   54,000  USD
1988   Consultancy services for reviewing and preparing a training plan ...   4,250  USD
1987   1.5 month consultancy mission to follow-up the zoning plan for ...   2,500  USD
1987   Contribution to consultancy mission for the development of a ...   2,000  USD
1987   Provision of 2 experts for 3.5 months to advise on the management ...   15,000  USD
1986   Financial support to the environmental education and ...   20,000  USD
1985   Contribution to the training of an environmental education ...   2,500  USD
1985   4-month training in management of protected areas (course ...   6,000  USD
1985   Contribution to purchase of equipment for Galapagos National Park ...   10,500  USD
1982   Financial contribution to a training course organised by the ...   10,000  USD
1979   Purchase of equipment to eliminate invasive species in Galapagos   50,000  USD
1979   Training seminar in the Galapagos   12,000  USD
Missions**
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Fire (issue resolved);
  • Limited protected area;
  • Over fishing;
  • Tourist pressure;
  • Lack of financial resources
Corrective Measures
Current conservation issues

It is recalled that a fire burned some 8,000 hectares of Isabela Island, part of the Galapagos National Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. Emergency assistance was provided to the site under the World Heritage Fund (US$ 50,000). Meanwhile, the World Heritage Centre has received a preliminary report, photos and a video film on the fire.

The President of Ecuador wrote a letter on 26 July 1994 to the Director General of UNESCO thanking him for the important contribution made by the World Heritage Fund and the immediate action undertaken by the World Heritage Committee and the Centre to preserve the fragile biodiversity system of the islands in the framework of the World Heritage Convention.

On 30 September 1994 the Centre was informed that the President of the Republic of Ecuador has taken further action concerning the Galapagos Marine Reserve. IUCN will report in more detail on this issue under the agenda item on nominations.

______________________________________________

Report included in Document WHC.94/CONF.003/7rev:

The Bureau recommended that the Committee include the Galapagos Marine Reserve proposed as an extension to the World Heritage site of Galapagos Islands on the World Heritage List.

The Bureau requested the Committee to commend the Ecuadorean authorities for extending the World Heritage property to include marine habitats extending to 40 nautical miles from the islands.

The Bureau however, was concerned that the proposed Marine Reserve, and the Galapagos Islands faced the following threats to their integrity:

  • overfishing and illegal fishing of a wide range of species;
  • human pressures from the local population and tourism on both terrestrial and marine resources;
  • inadequate management capacity and infrastructure ;
  • adverse impacts of introduced animals and plants.

These threats call for mitigative actions via-a-vis:

  • augmenting management capacity;
  • encouraging institutional cooperation;
  • stepping up law enforcement, and
  • conducting research on sustainability.

 

Conclusion

The Committee is requested to examine IUCN's report and then to decide on the appropriate actions.

______________________________________________

Report included in Document WHC.94/CONF.003/7rev:

In view of the prevailing threats to the integrity of the extension proposed in the Marine Reserve and the Islands, the Bureau recommended that the Committee include the Galapagos
(Islands and the extension of the Marine Resource Reserve) in the List of World Heritage in Danger and request the Ecuadorean Government to convene, in co-operation with the World Heritage Centre, a donors conference to prepare a plan for financing a programme of actions to mitigate the threats to the integrity of the site.

Decision

  • Adopted

  • Draft Decision

18COMXI
Link to the decision

Galapagos Marine Reserve (extension of the Galapagos Islands)

1bis

Ecuador

The Committee recognized that the Marine Reserve met natural heritage criteria. However, in accordance with the recommendation of IUCN and the wish of the Observer of Ecuador, it deferred the inclusion of the Galapagos Marine Reserve as an extension of World Heritage site of Galapagos. The Committee commended the Ecuadorean authorities for their efforts to enlarge the World Heritage property to include marine habitats extending to 15 nautical miles from the islands. It also noted the proposal of the Ecuadorean authorities to extend marine habitats up to 40 nautical miles. But the Committee was seriously concerned that the proposed Marine Reserve and the Galapagos Islands faced the following threats to their integrity:

  • overfishing and illegal fishing of a wide range of species;
  • human pressures from the local population (growing at an estimated rate of 8.5% per year, mainly due to immigration) and tourism on both terrestrial and marine resources;
  • inadequate management capacity and infrastructure;
  • adverse impacts of introduced animals and plants;

These threats call for mitigative action vis-a-vis:

  • augmenting management capacity;
  • encouraging institutional cooperation;
  • stepping up law enforcement, and
  • conducting research on sustainability of resource use in the Marine Reserve.

The Committee noted the commitment of the Ecuadorean Government which, in cooperation with IUCN, the Centre and a number of international conservation organizations, is considering several measures to ensure protection of the Marine Reserve and the Galapagos Islands. Furthermore, the Committee was informed that the Ecuadorean Government was considering a donors' conference in early 1995 to propose a series of actions to mitigate the prevailing threats to the integrity of the Marine Reserve and the Islands, as well as a financial plan for the implementation of those actions. Hence, the Committee requested IUCN and the Centre to report back to the Bureau at its nineteenth session on progress made to strengthen the conservation of the Marine Reserve and the Islands.

 

No draft Decision

Galápagos Islands
State Party:
Ecuador
Date of Inscription: 1978
Nomination records (Year): 1978, 2000
Category: Natural
Criteria: (vii)(viii)(ix)(x)
Exports
Word File
SOC Reports (year)
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
1994
1992
1990
1986
1985
Threats*
  • Fishing/collecting aquatic resources
  • Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation
  • Invasive/alien terrestrial species
  • Invasive / alien marine species
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Financial resources
  • Other Threats:
Documents
WHC.94/CONF.003/06
WHC.94/CONF.003/07Rev
Other Documents:
View inscribed site documents, nomination file, reports, decisions, ...
SOC ID: 1790
Inscription on the Danger List
Year: 2007 -2010
Threats to the Site:
  • Inadequate implementation of the Special Law on Galápagos and lack of enforcement;
  • Poor governance;
  • Inadequate regional planning;
  • Inadequate and ineffective quarantine measures;
  • Illegal fishing;
  • Instability of Park Director’s position;
  • High and unregulated illegal in-migration and resulting impacts of development on biodiversity;
  • Unsustainable tourism development;
  • Educational reform not implemented

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.