Iguaçu National Park

• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
• Water infrastructure (construction of a hydropower dam)
• Ground transport infrastructure (draft law and pressure to re-open an illegal road)
• Illegal logging and hunting (issue resolved)
• Governance (lack of transboundary cooperation, uncoordinated development)
• Lack of sustainable financing (issue resolved)
• Management systems/ management plan (issues associated with public use and lack of a public use plan)

Total amount granted to the property: USD 50,000 under the Brazilian World Heritage Biodiversity Programme for fire fighting planning

On 29 November 2019, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/355/documents/, providing the following information:

• The Baixo Iguaçu hydropower plant (HPP) is now in operation. According to the monitoring reports, the dam operation is being conducted in accordance with conditions imposed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the Environmental Institute of Paraná (IAP), including to ensure a minimum flow of 350 m³/s at any time. Four monitoring programmes instituted by the HPP operator, on Biodiversity Corridor Consolidation, Hydrosedimentological Monitoring, Natural Resource Inspection and Aquatic environment monitoring (including water quality and ichthyofauna sub-programmes) are outlined;
• The Colono Road remains closed, however two Bills proposing the reopening of the road are under consideration by the National Congress. In the House of Representatives, a new Bill (PL 984/2019) to institute the Colono Road as a Park-Highway has been approved by the Highway and Transportation Committee and will undergo further analysis by four other Committees. The previously proposed Bill PLC 61/2013, sent to the Federal Senate after approval by the House of Representatives in 2013, has now been unarchived. This Bill has been approved by the Infrastructure Service Committee and is now being evaluated by the Environment and the Regional Development and Tourism Committees;
• After a two-year review process, an updated Management Plan was approved in December 2018, addressing the conservation of waterways, forest and key species, as well as citizen participation. A complementary Public Use Plan (PUP) including local engagement and environmental education is also being drafted. The National Programme for Monitoring Biodiversity (‘Monitora’) established in 2017 is collecting data on birds, mammals and butterflies. Vehicles and accidents with fauna are monitored along the BR-469 Highway inside the property. Three further projects to monitor surrounding areas, water quality and microplastics, and non-native and invasive flora, are being planned for 2020;
• Collaboration with the neighbouring Iguazú National Park World Heritage property in Argentina continues, particularly relating to jaguar conservation and joint actions to combat illegal activities such as hunting, wildlife smuggling and palm heart harvesting.

The information regarding the Baixo Iguaçu (HPP), including that dam operations are being conducted in accordance with the conditions set out by ICMBio and IAP to maintain a minimum flow level of 350m³/s, is noted. Recalling that the new dam was expected to decrease the effects of fluctuating water levels (i.e. hydropeaking) from existing dams further upstream on the Iguaçu River, it is not clear from the provided data whether this has been achieved. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to provide updated information on compliance with the operational requirements, to closely monitor and manage water flow, including hydropeaking, and its effects and to report on these results.

It is of utmost concern that no specific assessment of the impacts of the HPP on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, was submitted prior to the dam’s construction and operation, as requested by the Committee. It is also of concern that not all recommendations of the 2015 IUCN Reactive Monitoring have been implemented.

While noting the on-going monitoring programmes by the HPP operator in cooperation with ICMBio, as required through the licencing process, no information was provided to clarify if these were developed in cooperation with the State Party of Argentina, as requested by the Committee. It is also recommended that the Committee request the State Party to ensure that these monitoring programmes effectively assess all possible negative impacts on the OUV of the property and that their results are used to inform action plans for mitigation, adaptive management and the operation of the Baixo Iguaçu HPP.

The initiation of other programmes is welcomed, such as the Biodiversity Corridor Consolidation programme to reconnect the property with isolated fragments of the surrounding forest and the Natural Resource Inspection Programme to combat illegal activities in the property and around the dam. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to continue these and report on their outcomes.

While it is noted that the Colono Road is still closed, it is of grave concern that two legislative Bills are being considered which could allow the re-opening of the road as a Park-Highway. It should be recalled that the World Heritage Committee in several Decisions concluded that a situation which could allow the re-opening of the road continues to represent a potential threat to the property’s OUV. It is therefore recommended that the Committee urge again the State Party to ensure the continued closure of Colono Road including through appropriate legislative mechanisms.

The approval of the updated Management Plan, as well as the establishment of the ‘Monitora’ programme, is welcomed. The complementary PUP is expected to promote increased engagement with local communities including plans to disperse tourism from a single location at Foz do Iguaçu to neighbouring municipalities. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to submit results from the biodiversity monitoring programme and provide information on the progress of improving tourist access opportunities from local municipalities other than Foz do Iguaçu.

The continued cooperation with the State Party of Argentina on information sharing, joint monitoring and surveillance activities are noted. However, it is regrettable that no specific cooperation was established to develop and implement a comprehensive monitoring, assessment and action plan to identify and address potential negative impacts from the Baixo Iguaçu (HPP) on the OUV of the two neighbouring properties. Noting that the State Party of Argentina has initiated a long-term monitoring and research project on the Iguazú River ecosystem and water quality, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the States Parties to collaborate on the development of a comprehensive overall monitoring system both for aquatic fauna and water flow. This monitoring would provide oversight and ensure compliance with the requirements and action plans prescribed for the hydropower project, thus assessing their effectiveness in mitigating adverse impacts on the OUV of the two properties.