The Bureau recalled that the Committee, at its last session, was informed of the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew which affected extensive areas of this World Heritage site on 24 August 1992. The Bureau noted that the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew has had a wide range of impacts on the ecology of Everglades and that the site has been entered on the "Montreux Record", the equivalent of a 'danger list' under the Ramsar Convention. The Representative of IUCN informed the Bureau that conservation problems of the Everglades have been covered extensively in the literature and that a ...
Sites: Everglades National Park
ICOMOS reported on the extremely negative visual impact of a new sports hall built on the western slope of the hill that is crowned by the Cathedral and that affects in particular the view of the Cathedral from the Alameda.
The Representative of ICOMOS informed the Bureau that only a few days ago, agreement had been reached between the local and the regional authorities to lower the already constructed building by 1.5 meters and to apply materials more suitable to the surroundings. Several delegates emphasized that Operational Guideline 47 invites the States Parties to inform the ...
The Bureau recalled the Committee's request at its sixteenth session that the Centre undertake a mission to review the state of conservation of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus following the information received on reconstruction works being undertaken at the main entrance of the Mosque. It expressed its regret that certain factors had precluded this mission from taking place and requested that ICOMOS undertake a general monitoring mission to Syria to review not only progress made in the works at the Mosque, but also the state of conservation of the Old City of Damascus.
Sites: Ancient City of Damascus
The Office of the Director-General for Historic Monuments of Turkey will collect all the technical documentation on Saint Sophie on the basis of a synthesis elaborated by the Director-General of this service. A group of Turkish and international experts will meet in Istanbul in September 1993 to prepare a global action plan for the safeguard of Saint Sophie.
A preliminary report will be presented to the Committee in December 1993. Financial support from UNESCO's Regular Programme will be allocated for this action which will be implemented in the framework of the International Safeguard ...
Sites: Historic Areas of Istanbul
The Bureau recalled that the Committee at its last session included this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger. Prevention of seasonal flooding has led to a decrease in the size and productivity of Srebarna and agricultural and residential use of surrounding areas have led to decline or disappearance of migratory and passerine bird populations. The Bureau recalled that IUCN, on the basis of two missions to the site in 1992, had concluded that Srebarna's World Heritage status may no longer be justified because it has deteriorated to a state where it may have irretrievably lost the ...
Sites: Srebarna Nature Reserve
The Bureau recalled that the integrity of this site, which has been inaccessible since the onset of armed conflict in the region in 1991, still remained intact. However, recognizing that the potential for a resurgence of hostilities continued to threaten the integrity of this site, the Committee, at its last session included the Plitvice Lakes National Park in the List of World Heritage in Danger and called upon the Government of Croatia, UNPROFOR and the authorities in the Krajina Region to co-operate to implement the Vance Plan and its successor resolutions to stabilize the political ...
Sites: Plitvice Lakes National Park
In 1981 the World Heritage Committee inscribed Mt. Nimba on the World Heritage List. In 1992 Mt Nimba was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger by the Committee which requested the Centre to send an expert mission to: (a) ascertain the boundaries of the site at the time of inscription and recommend an appropriate boundary; (b) assess the impact of the iron-ore mine and other threats to the integrity of the site; (c) work towards an integrated rural development project.
The mission was carried out between 15 to 30 May 1993. It included representatives from the Centre, UNDP, UNEP, ...
Noting that the Ecuadorean authorities have not yet provided the information requested by the Committee, the Bureau requested the Centre to contact them once again and obtain information on the status of the road construction project and on-going efforts to assess its impact on the integrity of the site. In accordance with the recommendations of the Committee, the Bureau also invited the Ecuadorean authorities to consider (a) submitting a proposal to extend this World Heritage site to include new areas that have been added to the Park, and (b) inviting a mission comprising regional ...
Sites: Sangay National Park
The Bureau recalled that the Committee, at its last session, was informed that the damage caused by the invasion of this site by militants belonging to the Bodo tribe in Assam was estimated to be about US$1.6 million and that although the Park infrastructure had suffered considerable damage, habitats in the inaccessible parts of the Sanctuary appeared to be intact. Concerned by the information reported by the Representative of IUCN that the area is still not completely free from encroachments by militants belonging to the Bodo tribe, and that illegal cultivation was spreading into parts ...
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
The Bureau recalled that the Committee, at its last session, included this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger because it was concerned that the region in which it is situated has been affected by civil disturbance and that six members of the Reserve staff were being held hostage since February 1992. The Bureau deeply regretted that two of the six Reserve staff who had been held hostage died during their captivity and the health of the other four who were released in April 1993 was found to be poor. The Bureau instructed the Centre to transmit the Committee's condolences to the ...
The Bureau recalled that the Committee, at its fifteenth session held in Carthage, Tunisia, in December 1991, noted that eight helicopters regularly overflew the waterfall area and that local conservation groups opposed the use of the area by helicopters since it contravened legal regulations for air traffic control over protected areas. The Bureau was satisfied to note that the efforts of the Argentine National Park Administration and the Air Force, to establish an agreement to regulate the use of air space over the Iguazu National Park by helicopters is proceeding. The Bureau urged the ...
Sites: Iguazu National Park
The Bureau was satisfied to note that the Brazilian authorities were in contact with their counterparts in Argentina to study the possibilities for establishing common regulations for helicopter traffic over the waterfalls area.
Sites: Iguaçu National Park
17 BUR VIII.2
Wrangell-St. Elias-Kluane-Glacier Bay National Parks (Canada/United States of America)
The Bureau recalled that the Committee, while approving the extension of this transfrontier site to include the Glacier Bay National Park (USA), at its last session, urged the American and the Canadian authorities to incorporate additional areas to the World Heritage property.
In this regard, the Bureau was pleased to be informed ty the Observer for Canada that the Provincial Government of British Columbia has decided to propose to the World Heritage Centre to establish a new provincial park in the Alsek Tatshenshint region and nominate this park as part of the transfrontier world ...
In response to the December 1992 request of the World Heritage Committee, two meetings were held with representatives of the Central African Republic (CAR) to discuss: (a) the protection of the site; (b) participation of local people, and (c) the social-economic ramifications of a "privatized management regime". The first meeting in April determined that the issues were of an administrative and legal nature rather than ecological and thus it was decided not to carry out a field mission.
On 10 May 1993 legal representatives of the Central African Republic, UNESCO and IUCN met at the World ...
The Bureau took note of the fact that the proposal to construct a road through of the Talamanca-La Amistad Reserves of Costa Rica is unlikely to be implemented in the immediate future. The Bureau was informed that the Costa Rican authorities were not in agreement with all the boundary modifications recommended by the Committee, at its fifteenth session. The Bureau noted that the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines, which is responsible for the management of the Talamanca-La Amistad Reserves, and the general public, as well as the indigenous people resident within the site, ...
The Bureau noted with satisfaction that the size of this mixed World Heritage property might be enlarged by about 50% and that the new areas earmarked for inclusion in the Park may contain natural and cultural heritage values of universal significance. The Bureau was informed that an IUCN project in the buffer zone of the Park is working with 26 villages to find alternative livelihood strategies which will minimize the dependence of the indigenous people on resources within the World Heritage site.
The Bureau commended the efforts of the Government of Denmark which is supporting this ...
Sites: Tikal National Park
The Bureau recalled that at its last session the Committee was informed that the Government of New Zealand had approved an application from a private company for a licence to export water from this World Heritage site. The exportation of freshwater would require the construction of a dam, a buried pipeline and four large reservoirs at Jackson's Bay. The Committee noted that the visual and ecological impacts of the proposed development project were not clearly known and that the legal and economic considerations which guided the decision to approve the project were being actively debated ...
The Bureau recalled that the Committee, at its last session, drew the attention of the Romanian authorities to the fact that they were yet to complete the final steps to establish a legislative framework for this site, despite the assurances of the Representative of Romania to the fifteenth session of the Committee in December 1991, when the Delta Danube was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Bureau was informed that the Ministry.of Waters, Forests and Environmental Protection of Romania has prepared the draft of the law concerning the establishment of the Danube Delta Biosphere ...
Sites: Danube Delta
The Bureau recalled that at its last session in July 1992 it had requested IUCN to provide a report on the progress in the implementation of measures to mitigate environmental impacts of a road construction protect in this Park. The Representative of IUCN informed the Bureau that the University of Dakar, Senegal, had undertaken an independent assessment of the implementation of mitigation measures and that the findings of this study had been validated by the Regional Representative of IUCN for West Africa. The Bureau was pleased to note that the study had found the implementation of ...
Sites: Niokolo-Koba National Park
The Bureau recalled that this site was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1988, and was deeply concerned to learn that the Prime Minister of Tanzania had announced that the residents of the area will be allowed to grow crops inside this World Heritage site, in contradiction to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Law. The Representative of IUCN noted that although allowing small areas of maize cultivation may help to ease conflicts between local people and site-staff, the announcement appears to have encouraged people to clear vegetation over extensive areas, including many ...
Sites: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
ICOMOS informed of a letter recently received from the Pueblo Governing Council. ICOMOS reviewed the concerns of the Tribal authorities over proposals to extend the runway of the Taos, New Mexico, Airport and confirmed that such action could pose serious problems for the protection of the site and its environment, as well as traditional lifestyles of the Taos people. The Bureau agreed with this assessment and requested the Secretariat to convey its concerns to the U.S. authorities together with a request for additional information.
Sites: Taos Pueblo
The Bureau was deeply concerned to learn that due to recent political uncertainties in the country all donors, except WWF, have withdrawn their support to this Park. This has resulted in destruction of vegetation, poaching, agricultural encroachment and over-exploitation of fish populations in Lake Idi Amin. Since November 1992, the Park staff has not received salaries, and funds for operations and maintenance are not available. Several new settlements have appeared in the Park, particularly around Lake Idi Amin, and some gold mining and livestock grazing have also been reported.
The ...
Sites: Virunga National Park
The Bureau recalled that the Committee, at its last session, noted that the authorities responsible for the management of this site are of the view that the proposed construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Tara River and the pollution of the River by an asphalt dam situated upstream had minimal impacts on the conservation of Durmitor National Park. The Bureau acknowledged the fact that the Montenegro authorities had invited a UNESCO/IUCN mission to the site and that this mission should be undertaken as early as possible in order to ensure the conservation of this World Heritage site. ...
Sites: Durmitor National Park
The Committee, at its sixteenth session, inscribed the Angkor site, together with its monuments and archaeological zones, as described in the "Perimeter de Protection" accompanying the ICOMOS report, on the World Heritage List. The Committee, however, noted that Cambodia had been placed under the temporary administration of the United Nations, in accordance with the Paris Accords, since July 1991. In order to deal quickly and effectively with the urgent problems of conservation facing this site, the Committee decided to include Angkor in the List of World Heritage in Danger and requested ...
Sites: Angkor
At its fifteenth session held in Carthage in December 1991, the Committee inscribed the Old City of Dubrovnik on the List of World Heritage in Danger. At the sixteenth session of the Bureau in July 1992, it was recommended that the Croatian authorities create a buffer zone in order to ensure the protection of the ancient fortress and the surrounding areas.
Since the last session of the Committee, two brochures on Dubrovnik have been published in order to publicize the plan to safeguard the Fortress and the Old City, damaged by bombardment, and also with the aim of raising funds. Specific ...
Sites: Old City of Dubrovnik
The Bureau took note of the report on the poor state of conservation of the Kefren Pyramid and endorsed the Centre's recommendation that the Egyptian Antiquities Organization be approached with a view to convening a meeting of specialists in stone conservation in cooperation with ICRROM to examine the state of conservation of this and other pyramids at this World Heritage site.
The Bureau expressed its concern about the deteriorating situation of the monuments of Islamic Cairo and took note of UNDP's disposition to launch a technical assistance project to be executed by UNESCO, and supported the World Heritage Centre's participation in this project.
Sites: Historic Cairo
The Delegate of Germany reported on the situation in the old city of Lubeck, and more particularly on the demolition of certain monuments situated in the protected zone and the discovery of mural paintings which are presently being restored. At the invitation of the Mayor of Lübeck, ICOMOS will visit the city and make an evaluation of the situation and present a detailed report to the next session of the World Heritage Committee at Carthagena.
Sites: Hanseatic City of Lübeck
The Bureau learned of the possible threat to this site through the construction of an olive-packing unit. A formal request for additional information has been forwarded to the Greek authorities who replied that permission would not begranted until all prerequisite conditions had been satisfied. The Greek Observer confirmed that the Greek authorities had already been alerted and assured the Bureau that the Committee will be informed on all further decisions taken by them. ICOMOS expressed concern about the construction of the plant that could have a negative impact.
The Bureau was informed that a road construction project, in the immediate vicinity of the Acropolis of Samos, in front of the Tunnel of Eupalinos, was submitted to the Ministry of Culture. The Greek authorities reported that the project is directly under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, which is of the view that the project will not endanger the site or theTunnel. The Greek Observer pointed out that the road construction is still in the project stage and that the final decision has not yet been taken.
The Rapporteur stressed that, for an archaeological site of such ...
The Director of the World Heritage Centre informed the Bureau on a joint mission with ICCROM to the site damaged in the historic centre of Florence by a terrorist bomb which exploded on 27 May 1993.
The explosion caused extensive damage to the "Galleria degli Uffizi" and the "Accademia dei Georgofili". Due to the blast, the building "Torre delle Pulci" collapsed, four people were killed and a fifth victim died in the fire that subsequently broke out The Accademia dei Georgofili, housed in the 16th century Torre delle Pulci, is the oldest Agricultural Society in the world and has the ...
Sites: Historic Centre of Florence
The World Heritage Committee, it its sixteenth session, was informed of the alarming state of conservation of historic buildings and monuments in the Kathmandu Valley. UNESCO and ICOMOS were requested to undertake a global review of the Kathmandu Valley and of the activities undertaken over the past 20 years from the standpoint of safeguarding the cultural heritage of Kathmandu. The objectives of the review were: to draw up broad guidelines for the preservation of the whole valley and to re-examine the boundaries of the protected zone under the Convention.
The UNESCO Division of Physical ...
Sites: Kathmandu Valley
ICOMOS reported on the state of conservation of the site which, despite one million visitors every year, is maintaining an excellent general appearance. However, urgent attention to the oldest trees is envisaged and a systematic management and development plan should be set up to protect the vegetation.
The buildings within the boundary walls of the "Gardens" were reported to be in a good state of repair and well maintained. However, the perimeter brick walls are in poor condition due, in many cases, to improper use of the binder in the repair work, and in others to the substitution of ...
ICOMOS reported on its continuous involvement in the conservation efforts for this site. As a follow-up to the decision of the World Heritage Committee at its sixteenth session, to support the coordination effort undertaken by ICOMOS, a technical study programme has been set up for 1993, including a 5-6 week mission of 5 or 6 experts. These experts will be supported by their respective governments so tilt no professional fees will be paid from the Fund. The results of the mission will be presented by ICOMOS to the World Heritage Committee at its seventeenth session in December 1993.
The ...
Sites: Kizhi Pogost
ICOMOS reported on various factors of a financial and socio-economic nature that threaten the site and hinder its proper conservation. : COMOS reported however, that there is little need to send individual experts or groups of experts on urban heritage, given the comprehensive and carefully reasoned analysis and diagnosis on the conservation problems prepared by the local authorities and group of professionals.
ICOMOS suggested, given the analysis and diagnosis that is already available in Saint Petersburg and other cities in the world, to organize a symposium on heritage conservation in ...
ICOMOS informed the Bureau of the conservation efforts at this site that are linked to training activities for property owners. One problem that still awaits solution is that of traffic through the historic centre, which is a potential source of damage to ancient buildings due to vibration and exhaust pollution. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to draw the attention of the competent authorities in Finland to the desirability of reducing the pressure of through traffic within the designated area
Sites: Old Rauma
Mt. Nimba Nature Reserve (Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea): The Bureau approved a sum of US$ 30,000 for consultancies and other services necessary for setting up a management regime in the Guinean part of this World Heritage site in Danger.
Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon): The Bureau recommended that the Committee approve US$ 40,000 for the purchase of two vehicles for this site subject to the Cameroon authorities paying their dues to the World Heritage Fund, providing detailed information to the Centre on projects implemented in this site with national funds and provide assurance to the Committee that the maintenance of the vehicles will be supervised directly by the manager of the Dja Reserve.
School for the Training of Wildlife Specialists (Cameroon): The Bureau recommended that the Committee re-examine this request for ...
Mt. Huangshan (People's Republic of China) - Training in management planning for protected area specialists in China: The Bureau approved a sum of US$ 30,000 for organizing a training workshop in Mt. Huangshan (US$ 20,000) and for supporting the participation of protected area specialists from Asia-Pacific in the CNPPA/IUCN Regional Conference on Protected Areas of East Asia (US$ 10,000) to review the draft management plan of Huangshan prepared as a result of the training ...
Sites: Mount Huangshan
IUCN
The Bureau approved a sum of US$ 18,000 to IUCN for the following purposes:
(a) reimbursement of costs for implementing the Bureau's request, made at its last session in July 1992, for assessing measures taken to mitigate impacts of road construction in Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) US$ 12,000
Preparation of a state of conservation report on sangay National Park by IUCN's Regional Office for Latin America US$ 2,000
Contribution for the preparation, by the IUCN Office in Nepal, of state of conservation reports on Sagarmatha and Royal Chitwan National Parks of Nepal US$ ...