The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 35 COM 7B.27 , adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),
3. Acknowledges the efforts made in response to the recommendations of the joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN/RAMSAR mission conducted in 2011 and requests the State Party to continue these efforts;
4. Reiterates its concern about the cumulative impacts of a number of threats to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, in particular the possible deepening dredging of Guadalquivir estuary, the issue of over-extraction of the Doñana Aquifer and the potential impacts from hydrocarbon projects in the vicinity of the property and considers that if these issues are not effectively addressed, the property could meet the conditions for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger in the near future;
5. Welcomes the conclusion of the Environmental Impact Statement of the Balboa Refinery and its associated infrastructure and the non-approval of the construction of the refinery and associated infrastructure and also requests the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre of any possible revision of the decision in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines ;
6. Urges the State Party not to permit any deepening dredging in the Lower Guadalquivir River and to ensure that any maintenance dredging activities are ecologically optimized, in line with the recommendations of the Scientific Commission and Decision 35 COM 7B.27 and to integrate the conclusions of the Scientific Commission as binding conditions into the Environmental Impact Statement;
7. Expresses its concern on the possible impacts of planned projects for gas extraction and storage in the immediate vicinity of the property and further requests the State Party to ensure that the potential impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property is fully considered as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment and the results transmitted to the World Heritage Centre in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines ;
8. Requests furthermore the State Party to further invest in the follow-up and implementation of the multiple risk preparedness plans and to establish direct communication lines between the management authority of the property and the La Rábida refinery in view of the expansion of that refinery;
9. Requests moreover the State Party to approve and implement the Special Management Plan of the Irrigation Zones (located to the North of the Forest Crown of Doñana) without further delay;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and on the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014.