Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve
Factors affecting the property in 2000*
- Ground transport infrastructure
- Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
- Illegal activities
- Land conversion
- Storms
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Extreme pressure with the invasion of refugees and settlers into the Reserve;
- Illegal tree felling;
- Poaching;
- Road construction;
- Patuca II hydro power project
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2000
Total amount approved : 198,000 USD
| 1996 | Conservation strategy and preparation of a management ... (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
| 1988 | Equipment for Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
| 1987 | Consultant services, training and equipment for ... (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
| 1985 | Strengthen protection and management of Rio Platano ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
| 1983 | Implementation of protective measures, of training ... (Approved) | 26,000 USD |
| 1982 | Financial contribution towards ecodevelopment ... (Approved) | 67,025 USD |
| 1982 | Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Approved) | 4,975 USD |
Missions to the property until 2000**
October 2000: joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN mission
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 2000
Summary of previous delibertions:
Twenty-third session of the Committee – paragraph number – X.8
Twenty-third ordinary session of the Bureau – paragraph number – IV.7
New information: At a meeting held in early 2000, the Centre staff pointed out to the Permanent Delegate of Honduras to UNESCO the recommendation of the Committee that his Government consider inviting an UNESCO/IUCN mission to the site. No official letter inviting such a mission has been received from the State Party at the time of the preparation of this document.
The former Director of the Centre, based on meetings he had with the German Technical Co-operation Agency, GTZ, informed the Centre that a GTZ project is attempting to implement participatory resettlement programmes to minimize human impacts in the core zone of the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve. The project is supported by the GTZ and German Ministry for Economic Co-operation (BMZ) and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KWF) at a total cost of 14 million German Marks.
Action Required
The Bureau reiterates the Committee‘s request that the State Party provide up-to-date information on the Patuca II project, including a copy of the EIA that has been prepared. The Bureau also encourages the State Party to respond to the recommendation of the Committee that the State Party consider inviting an UNESCO/IUCN mission to the site as soon as possible. The Bureau recommends that the Committee retain the Rio Platano National Park in the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2000
The State Party, via a letter dated 21 June 2000, invited a Centre/IUCN mission to the site. IUCN and the Centre have collaborated to identify experts to undertake the mission from 22-29 October 2000 and a report on the findings of the mission will be provided at the time of the twenty-fourth session of the Committee. A representative of site-management is expected to present a case study on Rio Platano at the Centre/IUCN workshop on the "Role of World Heritage in Danger Listing in Promoting International Co-operation for the Conservation of World Natural Heritage", in Amman, Jordan, during 6-7 October 2000.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2000
24 BUR IV.A.9
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Bureau was informed that the Centre staff, at a meeting held in early 2000, pointed out to the Permanent Delegate of Honduras to UNESCO the recommendation of the Committee that her Government consider inviting a UNESCO/IUCN mission to the site. Following that meeting and several formal and informal communications, the State Party, via a letter dated 21 June 2000 invited a Centre/IUCN mission and the Bureau was satisfied to learn that the mission is likely to be fielded in late September 2000. The Bureau was informed that a project of the German Technical Co-operation Agency, GTZ, is attempting to implement participatory resettlement programmes to minimize human impacts in the core zone of the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve. The project is supported by the GTZ and German Ministry for Economic Co-operation (BMZ) and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KWF), at a total cost of 14 million German Marks.
The Bureau requested the Centre and IUCN to work with the relevant authorities of the State Party to field a site visit in September 2000 as foreseen and during the mission also obtain up-to-date information on the Patuca II project, including a copy of the EIA that has been prepared. The Bureau recommended that the report of the mission, including the recommendations for future action, be submitted to the twenty-fourth session of the Committee during November-December 2000. The Bureau recommended that the Committee retain the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve in the List of World Heritage in Danger.
24 COM VIII.10
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
VIII.10 Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Committee was informed that the Centre/IUCN mission to this site was fielded from 24 to 30 October 2000. A preliminary report of the mission indicated that of the ten major recommendations of the previous (1995) Centre/IUCN mission which led to the inclusion of this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger 1996, five have been implemented. Some notable achievements made since 1995 include: completion of a participatory management plan; increasing on-the-ground management presence; establishment of inter-agency control posts in strategic locations; preparation and the beginning of the execution of an inter-institutional action plan; and organization of agro-forestry co-operatives. Continuing concerns regarding the integrity of the site centre around: deforestation rates in the buffer zone that exceed the national average (4%); resettling core-zone family units into the buffer zone and land-titling issues in influence zones; and unacceptable levels of logging and poaching. The mission report acknowledges and appreciates the support given by the German Government to the conservation of Rio Platano. The Committee was informed of a UN Foundation-financed project to link biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism development targeting six sites, including Rio Platano. This project may generate employment and economic benefits via outreach, ecotourism and research activities as recommended by the 1995 mission.
The Committee requested the Centre to transmit the full report of the IUCN/Centre mission to the site to the State Party to obtain formal written responses and comments from the State Party for submission to the twenty-fifth session of the Bureau in 2001. The Committee urged the State Party to continue its efforts to improve management of the site. The Committee retained the site in the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Committee may wish to review new information that may be available at the time of its session and take necessary decisions and recommend appropriate actions for the consideration of the State Party, advisory bodies and the Centre
Honduras
Exports
* :
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.
