Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works

• Factors affecting the property identified in previous reports

• Management systems/management plan
• Wind
• Extremely fragile nature of the industrial buildings that were constructed using local materials such as timber for frames, corrugated iron sheets for roofs and some walls, in addition to stucco and lightweight construction
• Lack of maintenance over the past 40 years as well as vandalism at the property
• Corrosion of metal cladding and dismantlement of some of the structural elements
• A few buildings such as the Leaching House are liable to structural collapse if no support is given
• Damage caused by earthquakes and the wind (damages due to the 2014 earthquake addressed)

• Extremely fragile nature of the industrial buildings
• Lack of maintenance for 40 years
• Vandalism due to looting of re-usable materials
• Damage caused by the wind

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5014

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/5014

On 2 February 2018, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, the executive summary of which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1178/documents/. The State Party expects that the implementation of the corrective measures, as defined in 37 COM 7A.37, will be completed by the end of 2018, and reports the following:

• 56% of the activities of the Priority Intervention Programme (PIP) 2005-2008 have been implemented and the remaining 44% (for which financing and a technical team have been secured) will be concluded by the end of 2018;
• The completion and implementation of the property’s Conservation Plan is expected in the second half of 2018;
• The current project between the State Parties of Chile and Mexico aims to strengthen technical capacities to develop conservation and monitoring plans for World Heritage properties;
• Safety measures for the site, including the vehicle traffic restriction in Route A-16, and for its workers and visitors are implemented effectively;
• The Management Plan, approved in 2013, is in place and its seven programmes are in effect. During 2018, work will begin on updating the Management Plan up to 2023;
• Financial resources have been provided on a sustainable basis and 30 staff members now work on site. Additional resources will be made available under a national World Heritage Programme;
• The 2013 Strategic Interpretation Plan remains in full force; the rehabilitation of two buildings (one for an Interpretation Centre and another one for a Documentation Centre) was concluded;
• Buffer zones have been identified and their legal protection as Typical Zones was approved in January 2018 by the National Monuments Council. It is expected that the formal decree will be issued shortly, following which the proposal for a Minor Boundary Modification will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre. Regulations of use for the zones will be developed throughout the course of 2018;
• Five out of six emergency interventions were executed in 2017 under the UNESCO Emergency International Assistance;
• Extensive studies on materials and their conservation were undertaken and a Monitoring and Maintenance Manual elaborated;
• A Risk Management Plan is being prepared under the project “Strengthening Disaster Risk Management at 3 World Heritage Properties in Chile” funded by the German cooperation with the assistance of the World Heritage Centre. It is expected to be concluded in 2018.

The Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage was officially created, integrating the National Board for Archives and Museums and the National Centre for World Heritage Sites. The new National Policy for Culture 2017-2022 intends to align national heritage regulations with relevant international conventions.

The State Party should be commended for the important advances it has made in the implementation of the corrective measures established in Decision 37 COM 7A.37.  The official creation of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage should be welcomed.

The following observations are made regarding the corrective measures that are to be completed by the end of 2018:

1. Full implementation of the Priority Interventions Programme (PIP), according to its 2005 and 2008 definitions: By the end of 2017, 56% of this programme’s actions had been implemented. It may be optimistic to expect that the remaining 44% will be implemented within a one-year period;
2. Full design and initial implementation of the comprehensive Conservation Plan, based on the necessary scientific research, a clear conservation strategy, and the appropriate safety and security standards: Important preparatory work has been carried out for the elaboration of the Conservation Plan. This Plan should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies as soon as it becomes available;

iii.      Security and protection measures for the site fully operational: The State Party has reported on this area for several years and the security and protection measures are fully operational;

1. Sustained implementation of the management plan and fully operational management system in place: The Management Plan was approved in 2013 and has been in full implementation since then. The management system has proven to be fully operational, and the Plan will be updated for a new period until 2023;
2. Management plan articulated with local and regional planning instruments: The updated Management Plan will explicitly incorporate guidelines derived from regional and local regulations;
3. Appropriate and sustained human, financial and material resources for the conservation and management of the property secured and vii. Stable and continuous contribution by the State for the conservation and management of the property, in a framework of shared funding (public / private): The Saltpeter Museum Corporation has 30 staff members in total, including heritage related specialists, administration, maintenance and security staff. Financial contributions from entrance fees, mining companies, the state, and other sources appear to have reached a sustainable level;

viii.    Visitor strategy and interpretation plan fully in place: The Strategic Interpretation Plan has been in force since 2013 and a full programme has been implemented. Rehabilitation works for an Interpretation Centre and a Documentation Centre have been concluded. Visitor numbers have been gradually increasing from 49 000 in 2005 to 91 000 in 2016;

ix.      Site’s facilities and activities contribute to the conservation and protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property: Conservation, interpretation, communication and outreach programmes have been implemented systematically;

x.      Buffer zone fully established and approved and regulatory measures for its protection adopted and enforced: The declaration of the proposed buffer zones as a National Monument under the category of Typical Zone is an important step towards the fulfilment of this measure. Regulatory measures remain to be established, as does the formal submission of the buffer zone as a Minor Boundary Modification to the World Heritage Centre.

It may indeed be expected, as the State Party indicates, that the corrective measures can be implemented by the end of 2018. However, some important measures, such as the Conservation Plan and the buffer zone regulations, are still to be completed. These plans should be submitted and reviewed by the Advisory Bodies to assess the progress made in the achievement of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR).