Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex

• boundaries of the property to be revised based on agreement between the States Parties of Thailand and Myanmar
• related conditions of integrity, protection and management to be ensured
• need of consultations with and active engagement of the local communities for the management of the property

N/A

In November 2022, an IUCN Advisory mission visited the property at the request of the State Party, the report of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1461/documents.

On 31 March 2023, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, an executive summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1461/documents/. The full report is summarized as follows:

• Confirmation of boundary adjustments agreed by the States Parties of Thailand and Myanmar without prejudice to the determination of the land border under international law;
• Confirmation of the Kaeng Krachan, Kui Buri and Chalerm Phrakiat Thai Prachan National Parks, and Mae Nam Phachi Wildlife Sanctuary as the four units composing the property;
• Confirmation of a recently revised legal, policy and management framework, highlighting the National Park Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), the Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act, B.E. 2562 (2019);
• In line with Section 65 of the National Park Act and Section 57 of the Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act, respectively, land tenure surveys were conducted to document villages, residents and agricultural plots within the forest complex to inform the possible granting of rights according to applicable rules and regulations;
• Further surveys were conducted to inform the designation of areas for natural resource use in wildlife sanctuaries and national parks;
• Draft Management Plans covering 2023 to 2027 are in place for the three national parks; the elaboration of the Plan for Mae Nam Phachi Wildlife Sanctuary is in progress; an overarching Management Plan for the entire forest complex is to be elaborated within the current fiscal year, considering the World Heritage status;
• A SMART Patrol System is operational throughout the property;
• Capacity development for Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex (KKFC) staff has been implemented with a focus on law enforcement;
• Promotion of public participation includes consultations on local livelihoods and engagement in management, human rights resolutions, public hearings, efforts to grant citizenship to Karen people and efforts to allocate rights to land and harvesting areas and tourism projects;
• Protected Area Committees (PACs) in all units of the property include community representatives; appointment of an overarching PAC for the entire forest complex is foreseen within the current fiscal year;
• Particular attention is given to address the situation in Ban Bang Kloy village inside the property, including through orders by the Prime Minister’s Office dated 2021 and 2022 appointing committees and sub-committees to analyze the situation as a basis for recommendations to the Prime Minister or Cabinet;
• Confirmed readiness to engage in transboundary conservation with Myanmar, including the extension of the property to a possible future transboundary property;
• Ongoing efforts are underway to address human-wildlife (elephant) conflicts;
• Discovery of new species in the property and ongoing research in limestone ecosystems, moist evergreen forests and the Phetchaburi River.

In November 2022, an IUCN Advisory mission was invited to the property by the State Party. This provided a valuable and constructive opportunity to provide advice and clarification on a range of issues, including points raised in previous decisions of the World Heritage Committee. The mission concluded that the property is currently not in full compliance with all applicable World Heritage requirements and that there is a need to continue the “work in progress” noted by the World Heritage Committee on a range of key issues.

It is recalled that the boundaries of the property that were agreed between the States Parties of Thailand and Myanmar to be mutually acceptable before its inscription on the World Heritage List, resulted in a substantial area of the initially nominated area along the international border with Myanmar being removed from the nominated property as inscribed in 2021. Given the well-documented conservation importance of this area, including in terms of connectivity with intact forest areas in Myanmar, it is important that efforts are focused on ensuring the best possible protection and management of this area, which continues to be part of KKFC as defined and managed at the national level, in order to protect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. Considering the importance of strengthening transboundary conservation approach along the border with Myanmar, which includes connectivity between the property and Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries and the wider Western Forest Complex, and recalling Decision 44 COM 8B.7, the confirmed commitment by the State Party of Thailand to engage in transboundary conservation with the State Party of Myanmar is welcome. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN are available to provide advice and support as required.

It is noted that the reported evolving legal and policy framework is providing more options to balance conservation with community needs and aspirations and the multitude of reported activities and projects to increase community participation at various levels are encouraging. However, the reorientation of the protected areas approach implied in new legislation for national parks and wildlife sanctuaries will undoubtedly require substantial time, effort and mutual trust-building to produce concrete results. The new options to grant regulated access to natural resources are particularly promising, but to ensure a proper implementation of the new laws, clear operational guidance and careful consultations and analyses will be required. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to implement the recommendations of the 2022 IUCN Advisory mission on this issue as a matter of priority.

The ongoing progress to develop Management Plans for the property is noted, including for Mae Nam Phachi Wildlife Sanctuary and an overarching Management Plan for the entire property. It is also encouraging that PACs are reportedly operational in all units of the property and that an overarching PAC is planned to be established. Regarding previously raised rights-based concerns and the situation of the Ban Bang Kloy village, it is noted that the case has the attention of highest political levels and efforts are underway to address the ongoing conflicts to the degree possible.

The 2022 Advisory mission further noted the proposal of a dam construction within Mae Nam Phachi Wildlife Sanctuary, in an area initially nominated but not inscribed as a result of the above-mentioned agreement with Myanmar. Considering the importance of this area in terms of the integrity of the property, it is likely that the proposed dam project would impact negatively on the OUV of the property. In addition, the project may further amplify the already difficult relationship with the local communities in this area. It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre about the status of the proposed project before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and to ensure that its potential environmental and social impacts are assessed in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, in line with Paragraph 118bis, including considering a no-project option as one possible outcome. The project also risks running counter to current efforts to improve the relationship between conservation authorities and local communities.

It is concerning that the Kui Buri Forest Reserve and the Army Reserve Zone are not mentioned in the State Party report given their inclusion in the property and ecological function as a corridor to connect two components of the property. Furthermore, the exact legal status and management regime of this area continues to remain unclear. Building on scenarios proposed in the Nomination dossier, it is vital to consolidate its protection status, including by possibly expanding Kui Buri National Park. Due to the conservation and connectivity importance of this area located between Kui Buri and Kaeng Krachan National Parks, there is a need to ensure that the management of the property addresses the ecological linkages between the various component parts. Furthermore, no buffer zone was designated for the property at the time of inscription and the State Party should be requested to determine and formalize a buffer zone tailored to the local situation around the property through the Minor Boundary Modification procedure.