Sagarmatha National Park
Factors affecting the property in 2007*
- Air transport infrastructure
- Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
- Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
- Temperature change
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
a) Pressure and degradation from increasing tourism and mountaineering;
b) Airstrip development;
c) Climate change;
d) Development of tourism resort in core area.
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2007
Total amount approved : 232,097 USD
| 1999 | Donor Meeting for the Sagarmatha National Park (Approved) | 7,000 USD |
| 1999 | Training of the Chief Warden of the Sagarmatha National ... (Approved) | 8,202 USD |
| 1998 | Upgrading of interpretation displays and visitor ... (Approved) | 15,000 USD |
| 1983 | Reafforestation programme, improvement of the display ... (Approved) | 10,000 USD |
| 1982 | Specialist services of an energy adviser and financial ... (Approved) | 61,995 USD |
| 1981 | Financial contribution and specialist services for a ... (Approved) | 54,900 USD |
| 1980 | Energy adviser, equipment and financial assistance for ... (Approved) | 75,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2007**
IUCN (The World Conservation Union) Monitoring Mission in December 2002.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2007
As requested by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006), the State Party submitted a brief report on 30 January 2007, informing the World Heritage Centre that while the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and Sagarmatha National Park are against the land registration by Kongde View Resort, and that the final decision will be made by the Supreme Court of Nepal. While awaiting the outcome of the court case, the State Party has rejected a proposal submitted by the resort owner to build a trail to the resort.
The World Heritage Centre has been informed that the Government of Nepal has recently endorsed the new management plan for the National Park and that the Kongde View Resort has been constructed and is operational. The owner of the resort is trying to mobilise pressure to build the trail leading to the resort, which would pass through one of the core wildlife habitats of the national park.
IUCN and the World Heritage Centre encourage the State Party to continue monitoring the state of conservation of the park while the court case is ongoing, and to follow up on the Decision of the World Heritage Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006).
The Kathmandu Office of UNESCO is conducting an applied research on the impact that climate change is having on the glaciers ecosystem of the Sagarmatha National Park. This is a joint effort of the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu, World Wildlife Fund, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and Tribhuvan University. The study aims to provide current data on glaciers water discharge and flow, and will try to measure the snow melting rate at the basin, the diurnal variations in water flows and an analysis of the snow.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2007
31 COM 7B.19
State of conservation of World Heritage Properties - Sagarmatha National Park
The World Heritage Committee,
1.Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/7B;
2.Recalling Decision 30 COM 7B.15, adopted at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);
3.Requests the State Party to provide information on the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court of Nepal in relation to the Kongde View Resort as soon as a decision is made, and the steps it plans to take in relation to the resort;
4.Urges the State Party to study the impact of any development on the outstanding universal value and integrity of the property; and to carry out consultation with stakeholders on mitigation measures before any development operations begin, as requested by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);
5.Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2009 a report on the state of conservation of the property including progress on the issues outlined above, in particular on the measures that will be taken to maintain the integrity and outstanding universal value of the property, for examination by the Committee at its 33rd session in 2009.
Draft Decision: 31 COM 7B.19
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/7B;
2. Recalling Decision 30 COM 7B.15, adopted at its 30thsession (Vilnius, 2006);
3. Requests the State Party to provide information on the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court of Nepal in relation to the Kongde View Resort as soon as a decision is made, and the steps it plans to take in relation to the resort;
4. Urges the State Party to study the impact of any development on the outstanding universal value and integrity of the property; and to carry out consultation with stakeholders on mitigation measures before any development operations begin, as requested by the Committee at its 30th session in 2006 (Vilnius, 2006);
5. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2009 a report on the state of conservation of the property including progress on the issues outlined above, in particular on the measures that will be taken to maintain the integrity and outstanding universal value of the property, for examination by the Committee at its 33rd session in 2009.
Nepal
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
