Doñana National Park

• Oil and gas (Potential impacts from infrastructural projects in the vicinity of the property, including gas storage)
• Mining (Proposed re-opening of Aznalcóllar mine upstream of the property)
• Water infrastructure (Proposed upgrading of a dam upstream of the property)
• Water (extraction) (Unsustainable use of water with impacts on the Doñana aquifer)
• Water infrastructure (Dredging of the Guadalquivir River)

N/A

On 2 December 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, with extensive annexes provided in Spanish only, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/685/documents/ and reports the following:

• The Special Management Plan of the Irrigation Zones located to the North of the Forest Crown of Doñana (PEOCFD), other water measures and annual Extraction Plans continue to be implemented:
  • 319 wells have been closed (bringing the total to 765),
  • Three of the five water bodies in the Doñana aquifer remain “at risk”, which has triggered Article 56 of the Water Act and its available legal provisions (creation of water user communities, replacement of groundwater by surface water, protective perimeters around groundwater bodies),
  • The relocation of the two most easterly wells near Matalascañas is scheduled for implementation in 2023,
  • The Guadalquivir hydrological plan was due to be approved at the end of 2022, including a 60% increase of resources for the Guadalquivir Hydrographical Confederation (CHG) compared to the previous planning cycle, up to a total amount of 3,827 million EUR;
• The long drought has continued, and the 2021/2022 hydrological cycle was the driest since the 2004/2005 cycle. The number of counted wintering waterfowl birds in 2022 reached the lowest point in the last 22 years. Numbers of several iconic birds have significantly reduced, including the Glossy ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, Greater flamingo, Grey heron, Great egret, Greylag goose, Spanish imperial eagle, and Red kite. As a result of climate change, wintering populations of Greylag goose are already starting to winter in wetlands further north of the property;
• The State Party reports that the property still meets all three criteria (vii, ix and x) that form the basis of its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), but the ongoing major drought could alter criterion (vii), while the climatic situation in the area is undoubtedly having an impact on its current ecological condition;
• A comprehensive model capable of predicting the impacts of Doñana’s wider eco-hydrological dynamics and the potential future risks of climate change is not yet available;
• Preparations for a strategic document that forecasts the impact of climate change on OUV and sets out management guidelines may be advanced in 2023, building on existing initiatives;
• The project to reopen the Aznalcóllar mine has not undergone any significant changes since the last report was issued and the environmental assessment procedure is still ongoing. No impact of the four gas projects on the OUV has been detected. The State Party submitted to the World Heritage Centre an addendum document (in Spanish), to the initial project in November 2022;
• Of the 39 Habitats of Community Interest (HCI) under the Habitats Directive of the European Commission, the 2020 evaluation indicates that 27 have an excellent or good conservation, while nine have an intermediate or poor conservation. The Doñana lynx population has stabilized at around 90 individuals;
• The Retrospective Statement of OUV has been finalised and is being submitted for adoption by the World Heritage Committee;
• A proposal for a buffer zone (74,282.25 hectares) is being developed and the State Party will initiate a minor boundary modification for examination by the Committee.

On 25 January 2022, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party conveying third party concerns regarding a draft law entitled “Improvement of the Management of Irrigation Areas in the County of Huelva, in the Municipalities of Almonte, Bonares, Lucena del Puerto, Moguer and Rociana del Condado (Huelva)”, which was presented to the Parliament of Andalusia. In a letter dated 24 November 2022, the State Party responded that the Parliament of Andalusia had been dissolved, and that, therefore, the legislation had not been passed.

In a letter dated 23 September 2022, the World Heritage Centre transmitted third party information to the State Party on the drought and drying out of the Santa Olalla lagoon within the property. In a letter dated 24 November 2022, the State Party confirmed that all lagoons, including the Santa Olalla lagoon, had dried up by August 2022.

On 2 February 2023, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party requesting confirmation of the approval of the new hydrological plan for the Guadalquivir basin (2021-2027); information on the annual recording of the surface area and duration of flooding of the marshes; the implementation of a systematic follow-up of the assessments Rincon-2 and Marismas-3 on hydrology and OUV and the Aznalcóllar mine, including the status of the systematic risk preparedness and emergency action plans.

On 10 May 2023, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party noting concerns regarding a new bill by the Parliament of Andalusia, dated 13 March 2023, to amend the PEOCFD to legalise illegal water wells used for agricultural purposes. On 24 May 2023, UNESCO released a statement expressing concerns over the proposed bill.

On 13 June 2023, the State Party sent a letter to the World Heritage Centre including information that the bill had been taken into consideration by the Parliament of Andalusia but had, however, not yet been formally adopted and may be subject to further revision. Assurances were provided that, irrespective of the outcome of the bill, there is no possibility in the future of conceding additional water rights from the aquifer. The letter also included figures for ongoing well closures and the approval of a Priority Action Framework for Doñana.

The State Party’s reported efforts to reduce groundwater usage from the Doñana aquifer (i.e., the Almonte-Marismas detritic aquifer), including through continued inspections, closures of illegal wells and illegally irrigated farmlands, are appreciated. The substantial increase in resources for the CHG including the confirmed relocation of the most eastern wells near Matalascañas, are particularly welcomed. However, despite these efforts, the fact that three underground water bodies have remained overexploited since 2020 remains a reason for concern, especially considering the still unresolved scientific uncertainty regarding the extent to which groundwater abstraction impacts the property’s OUV. Despite the assurance provided by the State Party in the letter received on 13 June 2023 that no additional water rights would be conceded from the aquifer in the future, the legislative change proposed by the Parliament of Andalusia to legalise existing illegal wells is of significant concern, as this is contrary to the recommendations of the 2020 Reactive Monitoring mission and the State Party’s commitments and efforts to implement the PEOCFD and close illegal wells, which is crucial for preserving the OUV of the property.

Noting that the Hydrological Plan for the Guadalquivir basin (2021-2027) was expected to be finalised by the end of 2022, it is recommended for the State Party to confirm whether this Plan has been approved, and whether it was informed by the Strategic Environmental Assessment requested by the Committee in its Decision 41 COM 7B.9, including an assessment of the cumulative impacts of water use, and agricultural, industrial and commercial development occurring at present on the Guadalquivir River Basin to the property.

The potential impacts of the ongoing major drought on the OUV of the property that are compounded by the above challenges are of serious concern. Two of the five major habitats (marshes and lagoons) have almost disappeared in 2022, affecting also the Santa Olalla lagoon, which is the only permanent peridunal lagoon in the property. The dramatic decline in certain key species that represent attributes of the OUV is of serious concern, noting that many of these species have not been documented to have reproduced in the property and wintering waterfowl were recorded at the lowest numbers in the last 22 years with a 54% decrease compared to the 500,000 birds reported by the State Party in 2005. It is of further concern that wintering patterns of greylag geese are shifting, reportedly due to climate change-related impacts, which will require close monitoring. Although fluctuations in ecosystem productivity are expected given the typical seasonal and annual variations in rainfall patterns, the current situation is unprecedented since monitoring began and is likely a consequence of climate change and the weakening of the property’s resilience. Prolonged droughts also reduce the recharge of the aquifers, causing additional negative impacts and a concerning long-term outlook.

Therefore, the property could face not only the potential danger of groundwater over-extraction, as noted by the Committee in Decision 38 COM 7B.79, but also an ascertained danger if drought becomes a more permanent condition, including as a result of climate change. This emphasizes the need to continue to urgently implement the recommendations of the 2020 mission and reduce groundwater usage, increase the resilience of the property and address scientific uncertainties. Should these actions to strengthen the resilience of the property and reduce pressures on the OUV, including the threat of climate change, not be implemented, the property could be at greater risk of further deteriorating impacts on its OUV, and face both ascertained and potential danger, in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines.

Noting the shifting migratory patterns of a number of bird species that contribute to the property’s OUV, including greylag geese and, several threatened birds observed predominantly outside of the property, in areas such as Veta La Palma, it is appreciated that a proposal is under development to create a buffer zone for the property and the State Party should be encouraged to complete this process through a minor boundary modification, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines.

Noting that the environmental assessment procedure for the reopening of the Aznalcóllar mine is on-going, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its previous decisions and requests that the State Party prepare a clear risk preparedness plan and establish rapid emergency response capacities.