City of Potosí

• Potential degradation of the historic site by continued and uncontrolled mining operations in the Cerro Rico Mountain
• Instability and risk of collapse of the Cerro Rico
• Deficiencies in conservation: special attention required for the restoration and upgrading of structures with residential use and the archaeological industrial heritage
• Inefficient enforcement of protective legislation
• Environmental impacts on the hydraulic complex which in turn affects historic fabric and local population

• Instability and imminent risk of collapse of the Cerro Rico’s summit
• Lack of conservation policy of integral character which considers all the components of the property
• Deficiencies in conservation: special attention required for the restoration and upgrading of structures with residential use and the archaeological industrial heritage
• Potential degradation of the historic site by continued and uncontrolled mining operations in the Cerro Rico Mountain
• Inefficient enforcement of protective legislation
• Threatening impacts of climatic, geological or other environmental factors

Drafted, proposed for adoption in the draft Decision below

Identified, proposed for adoption in the draft Decision below

Identified, proposed for adoption in the draft Decision below

Total amount granted: USD 10,000 for a World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS technical mission in 2005 financed by the Spanish Funds-in-Trust for World Heritage

In March 2017, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/420/documents/, providing the following information:

• The technical responsibility for controlling the collapse of the peak of the mountain Cerro de Potosi was assumed by the Inter-institutional Committee for the Preservation of Cerro Rico de Potosí;
• Succeeding the 2012-2014 works of lightweight concrete pumping and the 2015-first phase of application of dry filler, the Inter-institutional Committee has determined in 2016 the implementation of its second phase. This last stabilization work financed by the Departmental Autonomous Government of Potosi and by the Bolivian Mining Corporation (COMIBOL) refilled with dry filler 95% of the 132 sinking areas of the peak of the mountain previously identified by the SERGEOMIN (Bolivian Geological and Mining Service);
• Due to socio-economic difficulties of the region, only partial progress was achieved in the implementation of the Ministerial Resolution N 135/2014, which regulates all mining operations in the Cerro Rico de Potosí;
• The follow-up and inspection of mining cooperatives operating in the Cerro Rico are conducted and continued by COMIBOL. A reinforced control over some type of mineral extractions was applied for the mining companies operating over the altitude of 4,400 metres of Cerro Rico and the cessation of activities of one Mining Company (Manquiri S.A) over this altitude was reported;
• As per request of the Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy and the Departmental Federation of Mineral Cooperatives (Federación Departamental de Cooperativas Mineras - FEDECOMIN), the COMIBOL defined new areas for the future relocation of miners working over the altitude 4,400 metres, which will be located in different provinces: José María Linares, Cornelio Saavedra, Tomas Frías and Antonio Quijarro. This new proposal was agreed with the mining companies;
• Following the process of formalization into law of the former Municipal Regulations for the Preservation of Historic zones of City of Potosí (Municipal Law 055/2014), undertaken in 2015, the Municipality of Potosi continued restoration works in many churches and streets of the Historic Centre;
• A workshop for capacity building on heritage management and conservation was delivered by the Ministry of Cultures and Tourism to technical staff of the Municipal and Departmental Autonomous Governments of Potosí;
• The First International Conference of Historians and Numismatists was held in Potosi in 2016 and had as outcome 12 action lines for the increase of the touristic and historical image of the City, such as the promotion of town-twinning programmes with other mining historic cities.

More recently, a World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS technical mission, funded by International Assistance from the World Heritage Fund, visited the property from 8 to 11 May 2017. As one of the main outcomes, an agreement was reached with the State Party on a final proposal for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) and a timeframed set of corrective measures to be submitted for approval by the Committee (see below). The mission also provided guidelines for the definition of the buffer zone and for the establishment of an Integrated and Participatory Management Plan (IPMP).

The report on the state of conservation of the property did not provide detailed information on the implementation of the recommendations made by the Committee to fully assess the current situation of the property. However, the May 2017 technical mission noticed significant efforts and progress made by the State Party to develop coordinated actions for the conservation of the property.

The State Party had previously reported on a number of actions launched in view of the development of a new legislation to solve the issues regarding the relocation of miners and the moratorium for all exploration between altitudes 4,400m and 4,700m, as well as about the inventory and analysis of mining cooperatives above 4,400m and legal actions against Supreme Decree 27787. Some of these actions, which were under negotiation process in 2015, have been partially implemented.

A joint project of survey and exploration of new areas with mining potential was developed by the Departmental Autonomous Government of Potosí and COMIBOL to continue the process of relocation of miners working over the altitude 4,400 metres. The first phase took place in 2015 and the second phase in 2016, but the final results are still pending.

On the other hand, even if the State Party had previously considered the impossibility to fully address the collapse of the summit of the Cerro as long as the mining activities above 4,400 meters were not halted, progresses were noticed in its stabilization. The finalization of phase two of application of dry filler in the crater of the mountain is noted. However, the report lacks specific information on the results and impact of this stabilization work, and the current situation of the summit of Cerro Rico seems to remain unresolved as a final assessment was not reported. The longstanding instability and vulnerability of Cerro Rico should be noted with regret by the Committee.
Efforts previously reported in the development of coordinated actions for the conservation of Cerro Rico, in particular by the creation of a Management Committee for Cerro Rico along with its operational regulations, seem to have concluded in the establishment of the Inter-institutional Committee for the Preservation of Cerro Rico de Potosí, who is now responsible for resuming the stabilization works.

It is recommended that the Committee, while welcoming the creation of the Inter-institutional Committee, the resuming of stabilization works, and the continuation of restoration works in line with the Municipal Regulations for the Preservation of Historic zones, request the State Party to harmonize and integrate those actions with the creation of an unified management unit and an IPMP that cover all the components of the inscribed property, and ensure the integral protection of its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).
These initiatives willneed a close follow-up by the Committee in line of the agreed DSOCR and the set of corrective measures (see below).

In this regard, the technical mission of May 2017 noticed with satisfaction the commitment of the State Party to use theInternational Assistance to achieve a positive outcome that will contribute to meet the corrective measures and the indicators contained in the DSOCR.

Moreover, taking into account the technical assistance provided during the mission, it is recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to complete the definition of the buffer zone and to submit a final proposal for a Minor Boundary Modification, in line with Paragraph 164 of theOperational Guidelines together with the development of theIPMP for the property, and submission to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies.
As mentioned above, the following DSOCR has been developed by the State Party, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and all stakeholders, and is proposed for adoption by the Committee:

I. Desired state of conservation for the removal of the City of Potosi from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR)

The desired state of conservation can be defined as follows:

• Collapse at the summit of Cerro Rico stabilized
• Miners working above 4,400 meters relocated
• Scope and extent of works on Cerro Rico’s summit and underground defined and agreed
• Comprehensive Strategy for stabilisation and monitoring fully in place
• Kari Kari Lagoons conserved and its surface and water pollution controlled
• Integrated and Participatory Management and governance systems approved and in place
• Disaster Risk management included in the Integrated and Participatory Management of the property

II. Corrective measures

Based on the Retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (RSOUV) of the property, on Decision38 COM 7B.38, on the state of conservation report submitted by the State Party in 2016 and on the results of the May 2017 World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Technical mission, several measures were identified to ensure that the threats affecting the property are systematically and holistically addressed. To achieve the DSOCR, the following four corrective measures will need to be undertaken:
a) Productive Mining Heritage:Development of measures to stabilize the collapse at the summit of Cerro Rico. Evaluation of preliminary results to define a revised strategy and timeframe for completion of the stabilization project. The current situation of high risk of collapse affects and threats miners working above 4,400 meters. Proposing the relocation of miners working above that coordinates is hence, needed and urgent.
b) Environmental Heritage: Development of a conservation system of the Kari Kari Lagoons, and control of surface and water pollution.
c) Archaeological, Architectural and Urban Heritage: Development of an improved database for the attributes of OUV for the Historical City and the Ribera de los Ingenios and documentation of their deterioration and alterations as a basis for the development of a conservation strategy.
d) Management and governance systems: Development of an Integrated and Participatory Management Plan (IPMP) for the property and compliance with regulatory measures, especially with regard to strengthening the Inter-Institutional Committee and the Cerro Rico Management Committee to broaden its political framework beyond topics related to Cerro Rico and include all the components of the property; to include a Risk Management Plan and clarification of limits to achieve a final proposal for a buffer zone.

III. Timeframe

Based on discussions with the site managers and the national, regional and municipal authorities, and in view of the existing resources and capacities, it is proposed that the identified corrective measures could be implemented within a five-year period (2017/2022).

IV. Indicators

The City of Potosí has a territorial scale formed by a wide group of diverse and varied components interconnected and interdependent such as theCerro Rico and its mines, the system of artificial lagoons of Kari Kari, the urban area of the mining settlement, the Ribera de los Ingenios, the indigenous neighbourhoods or the immovable property of architectural value.The property presents diverse levels of conservation according to the social and economic dynamics of each of its components. Each component shows distinctconservation issues in terms of authenticity and integritythat have  been approached in an isolated rather than integrated manner.

Taking into account the great diversity of the property, it is desirable that the State Party establishes an IPMP for the property, based on thematic components that encompass conservation and development issues. The six following thematic components are therefore proposed: Productive Mining Heritage, Environmental Heritage, Architectural Heritage, Urban Heritage, Archaeological Heritage and Management and governance systems. Specific diagnosis, management actions and monitoring for each of these should be foreseen. To be meaningful, the IPMP should also ensure community engagement among its clear objectives, taking into account that concerted action and participation are essential for the preservation of authenticity and integrity.

The thematic components should be considered as an interrelated and interdependent. Furthermore, the IPMP should adopt the most recent methodologies and experiences of management plans related to World Heritage properties of a territorial scale, as well as for cultural landscapes. The IPMP should also establish general preservation policies accompanied by generic strategies and action lines for each of the defined six thematic components.

The following table sets outindicators defined to reflect each of the four the corrective measures aimed at achieving the DSOCR:
a) Productive Mining Heritage: Stabilization of the collapse at the top of Cerro Rico

b) Environmental Heritage: Conservation of the Kari Kari Lagoon System.

c) Archaeological, Architectural and Urban Heritage: Improvement of the characteristics of the Historical City and Ribera de los Ingenios.

d) Limits and regulation