Decision 42 COM 7B.74

Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia) (N 98bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.3, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Commends the State Party for progress made to respond to the Committee’s decisions and to the 2017 mission recommendations, and urges the State Party to continue these efforts to fully implement all recommendations of the mission;
4. Welcomes the State Party’s decision to amend the Spatial Plan for Plitvice Lakes National Park which would include preparation of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), in line with IUCN’s Advice Note on Environmental Assessment and Decisions 40 COM 7B.95 and 41 COM 7B.3, and requests the State Party to provide the results of the SEA to the World Heritage Centre, once available;
5. Takes note of the additional guidelines on the implementation of the current Spatial Plan developed and provided to the relevant regional authorities responsible for issuance of construction permits, and the amendments to the Nature Protection Act which ensure participation of the Public Institution Plitvice Lakes National Park (PIPLNP) in decision-making processes regarding issuance of permits, and also requests the State Party to continue its efforts to strictly regulate and monitor both issuance of new permits and compliance of existing buildings with the relevant regulations;
6. Also welcomes the preparation of a new management plan for the property, including a visitor management plan, and further requests the State Party to ensure that this process is fully harmonized with the procedures foreseen for the SEA and for amending the Spatial Plan, in order to ensure that the overall management framework is fully consistent with the protection of the OUV of the property;
7. While noting information provided by the State Party regarding the existing plans to improve wastewater and water supply management within the property, considers that the inadequate water supply and drainage system, water pollution risks and continued exponential growth of visitation at the property continue to represent a potential danger to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines and therefore also urges the State Party to address all pending issues related to water and visitor management as a matter of priority;
8. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2019, a progress report, and by 1 December 2019, 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 44th session in 2020.