Decision 40 COM 7B.89

Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal) (N 120)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.68, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Welcomes the initiation of the UNDP funded “Community Based Flood and Glacial Lake Outburst Risk Reduction project”, especially considering the potential threat arising from climate change, and urges the State Party to ensure that the implementation of this project is closely monitored to ensure compliance with environmental measures and in cooperation with local communities to ensure respect of their cultural and spiritual values and practices;
4. Also welcomes the progress made by the State Party with the development of the draft 2016-2020 Management Plan for Sagarmatha National Park and its buffer zone, which was reviewed by the IUCN Advisory mission, and encourages the State Party to reflect the findings of the Advisory mission in the Management Plan and submit the completed plan (in English) to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2017, for review by IUCN;
5. Reiterates its concern that no verdict of the Supreme Court of Nepal has yet been made with respect to the Kongde View Resort to determine whether or not it is located inside the property, notes with concern that the resort is permitted to continue to operate until the verdict is issued, and also urges the State Party to take urgent measures to ensure that any impacts from the continued operation of the Kongde View Resort on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property are adequately mitigated;
6. Also notes with concern the reported increase in illegal wood collection from the property and its buffer zone, the continued challenge of solid waste management and other reported impacts from increasing visitation, including noise and visual impacts from uncontrolled and unregulated helicopter use, and also requests the State Party to include in the Management Plan adequate measures to address these issues, based on the recommendations of the Advisory mission and, where necessary, additional assessments of impacts on the OUV of the property;
7. Appreciates the State Party’s intention to submit a park zonation map to the World Heritage Centre once completed, and reiterates its encouragement to the State Party to submit a minor boundary modification to formally recognize the buffer zone of Sagarmatha National Park as a buffer zone to the property, consistent with the Operational Guidelines;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018.