Decision 45 COM 7B.93

Durmitor National Park (Montenegro) (N 100bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add.2,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.104 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Welcomes the State Party’s decision to terminate the process of expanding ski infrastructure development in the property;
4. Recalls that an expansion of ski infrastructure developments inside the property would constitute an ascertained danger to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, in line with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines and requests the State Party to provide information confirming that existing ski infrastructure will remain within exactly the same limited area closely following the existing routes, not allowing for any expansion or extension, and that the ski lifts should be operated within the limits of the current capacity of the existing ski runs;
5. Reiterates its request not to pursue the construction of tourism infrastructure inside the property, and to develop a sustainable tourism management strategy for the property, which should be reflected in the updated Special Purpose Spatial Plan (SPSP);
6. Notes with appreciation the submission of the Revised Protection Study (RPS) as well as the process of establishing a buffer zone for the property, and also requests the State Party to fully consider the findings of the IUCN’s review of the RPS and consult with the World Heritage Centre prior to adopting any legal change to the boundaries of the National Park or protection status of any area of the property;
7. Notes the multiple proposed hydroelectric power plant (HPP) projects downstream of the property and further requests the States Parties of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia to ensure the integrity of the property by maintaining the continuity of the river ecosystem and the continued presence of the Danube Salmon through an unimpeded river flow, and requests furthermore the States Parties to ensure that the potential impacts of proposed projects on the OUV of the property are assessed in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, prior to taking any decision that would be difficult to reverse, as follows:
   1. the State Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina to confirm the status of the Buk Bijela HPP project and to ensure that potential impacts of the project on the OUV are assessed through an updated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), in close consultation with the State Party of Montenegro,
   2. the States Parties of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia to ensure that the potential impacts of all planned HPP projects in the upper Drina catchment on the OUV are assessed, including cumulative impacts, through a Strategic Environmental Assessment, in collaboration with the State Party of Montenegro,
   3. the State Party of Montenegro to ensure that potential impacts of the Komarnica HPP on the OUV are assessed during the evaluation of the EIA, with specific considerations for the implications of this project on the potential future extension of the property into the Dragišnica and Komarnica Nature Park, and not to approve the project if it would result in negative impacts on the OUV,
   4. the States Parties of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia to communicate updated information and documentation on the above to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN;
8. Requests moreover the State Party to continue to monitor any downstream impacts inside the property following the completion of the Smokovac-Mateševo section of the Bar-Boljare motorway, as well as the status of key species that are attributes of the OUV, in particular the Danube Salmon;
9. Requests moreover the State Party to apply strict environmental safeguard standards in order to carefully monitor, minimise and mitigate any potential impacts during construction and maintenance works of the Lastva Grbaljska-Pljevlja transmission line;
10. Requests moreover the State Party to assess the potential impacts of the proposed lead and zinc mine on the OUV of the property, in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context;
11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2024, 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 47th session.