Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor

• Earthquake damage (issue resolved)
• Lack of Management Planning/system
• Inadequate legal system
• Accelerated urban development and urban pressure
• Proposed major bridge at Verige
• Lack of buffer zone – requested since 2003

On 30 November 2015, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/125/documents/ and provides the following information on the implementation of the recommendations made by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session (Doha, 2014):

• The establishment of the Management Council of the Kotor Region has progressed. An updated legal framework ensures the protection and management of the property. Visual Impact Studies are compulsory for plans and projects of structures or infrastructures larger than 3000 sqm and for those causing major changes. The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Property issues opinions on planning documents and permits for conservation projects;
• A draft Study for the protection of the Kotor Region identifies attributes and measures for their preservation and a Study for the protection of heritage properties is expected, defining parameters and protection regimes for inclusion in the Special Purpose Spatial Plan for the Coastal Area; the Study on traffic is underway. The completed Study for the protection of cultural properties for inclusion in the Spatial Urban Plan (SUP) for the Municipality of Kotor was expected by the end of 2015, and the SUP will be aligned to it. The Strategic Plan for Development of the Municipality of Kotor (2013 – 2017) was adopted in 2013;
• The Visual Impact Study for the Verige Bridge recommended exploring less impacting alternatives; accordingly, a feasibility study for a tunnel was elaborated and sent to the Ministries of Sustainable Development and of Transport for consideration. The Directorate for Planning and Development of Kotor, as developer of the above infrastructure, is responsible for elaborating the requested Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA). A road map and timeframe are included in the report, envisaging the submission of the HIA report by February 2016;
• The report also updates on progress in implementing the management plan, legislation and planning documents, strengthening the legal/institutional framework, improving protection and valorization of the property's heritage, strengthening the capacity and increasing human resources and defining sustainable development strategies and actions.

The report shows that the State Party has continued its efforts in addressing the property's current conservation issues and in setting up effective management mechanisms and structures, supported by adequate legislative and regulatory provisions. The appointment and enforcement of the Management Council, with clear responsibilities, is urgent to guarantee management coordination and effectiveness. Completing the harmonization of all planning tools for the property and its buffer zone is a crucial and urgent factor to ensure that present and future development is sustainable, equitable and compatible with the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. Within the review of all planning instruments, adopting a comprehensive HIA framework for all of them, based on the OUV and its related attributes and under the coordination of the Management Council, would strategically assist the responsible administrations in orienting the overall planning framework, defining land-use zones and the related system of measures and detailed provisions so as to protect the characteristics of the cultural landscape and to provide precise criteria and limits for future development. In this respect, the finalization of the HIA for the Verige Bridge and for its alternatives appears pivotal also for the delineation of a transportation strategy for the Region of Kotor that does not negatively impact on the World Heritage property.

The State Party reports briefly on the developments in Morinj, Kostanijca and Glavati and on the obligation to carry out a HIA. However, a letter by a third party, received on 4 April 2016 and transmitted to the State Party in conformity with Paragraph 174 of the Operational Guidelines on 6 April 2016, informs that a Local Study of Location of a tourism facility project (41.197sqm, 4 floors and 400 beds) has been adopted by the Municipality of Kotor for Glavati, at St Anne cove, which is one of the rare, still pristine rural areas along the coast contributing to the OUV as an essential element of the settlement layout. At the time of writing this report, the State Party had not yet provided any clarification. This new proposal adds on others already begun that caused serious concerns to the Committee in 2014 and resulted in a specific recommendation. It also highlights certain tensions towards contradictory approaches to development. An independent HIA is necessary before any planning provision is finalized and building permit issued for this project; HIAs for the development projects already begun, at the above-mentioned and at any other location, would also assist in identifying options for reducing or mitigating their impacts. In this regard, an inventory of all development projects, planned, approved or begun, is indispensable as a solid base for a comprehensive HIA approach.

The efforts already undertaken by the State Party will only achieve effectiveness if a committed sustainable, heritage-compatible and equitable development approach, including tourism, which is designed around the property’s OUV and shaping development and spatial planning, is embraced by all parties concerned.