UNESCO sends mission to assess the state of conservation of Machu Picchu World Heritage Site

UNESCO will send a mission to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Peru, in view of concerns by the World Heritage Committee for the conservation of this outstanding Andean archaeological centre and its natural environment, inscribed as a mixed natural and cultural site on the World Heritage List in 1983.

From 23 to 30 April, the UNESCO mission, which will include the participation of representatives of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), led by the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO will visit the Sanctuary and meet stake holders, local community representatives and government officials to evaluate progress in the implementation of the Master Plan of the property. It will also take stock of the uncontrolled urban development of Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu, the impact of the construction of a bridge that increases traffic to the sanctuary, and plans to develop tourist infrastructure in the protected area.

Members of the mission will also examine ways to increase the social participation of local communities, monitor flora and fauna in the site, and verify the applicability of the risk preparedness plan for the property that, in recent years, has been prey to mudslides and fires which have proved disastrous both in terms of human life and conservation.

The mission will hold workshops with some 60 participants, representatives of civil society, and of local, regional and national institutions. The workshops aim to increase the participation of local communities in the management of the site. The mission has been prepared in collaboration with the Peruvian authorities. Its findings will be presented to the World Heritage Committee at its next session, in Christchurch, New Zealand, in July 2007.

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More at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/274/