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Iguaçu National Park

Brazil
Factors affecting the property in 1998*
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
  • Input of excess energy
  • Water infrastructure
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Administration of the falls (Argentina);
  • Sound pollution (helicopters)
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1998
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 1998**
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1998

The Bureau may recall that at its twenty-first ordinary session it requested the Brazilian authorities to close the 18km road traversing the Park that had been illegally re-opened by local people. The Committee at its last session (Naples, 1997), was informed by IUCN of the fact that the road had been temporarily closed, and of several actions undertaken by the Brazilian authorities to strengthen management of the Park. Nevertheless, the Committee called for the permanent closure of the road and requested the Brazilian authorities to provide information concerning the rehabilitation of damaged areas.

The Centre received, on 10 March 1998, from the UNESCO Office in Brazil, information which indicated that: (1) the Park has been invaded again and the road illegally re-opened on 11 January 1998; (2) the Brazilian National Congress had established a Task Force under its Permanent Environmental Commission to investigate the issue; (3) the Task Force visited the area on 5 March 1998 and urged that a solution to the conflict be found; (4) the National Institute for the Environment envisages the preparation of a new management plan as soon as invaders leave the area; and (5) members of the Brazilian judicial community have reiterated their call for the closure of the road. A formal response from the Government of Brazil to the recommendations made by the Committee at its last session is awaited.

Action Required

The Bureau, based on additional information that may be available at the time of the twenty-second session of the Bureau, may recommend appropriate actions to the consideration of the State Party and/or the Committee as well as the Centre and IUCN.

22nd extraordinary session of the Bureau in 1998:
Since 1997, the Bureau and the Committee have repeatedly called for the permanent closure of the18km road traversing this Park which had been illegally opened by local people.The Bureau, at its twenty-second ordinary session (June 1998) requested the Centre and IUCN to undertake a joint mission to review the situation and to assist the State Party to mitigate the threats to the Park and asked the State Party to provide by 15 September 1998:
(1) a copy of the revitalisation programme and a time frame for the rehabilitation of damaged areas, and 
(2) a detailed report on the state of conservation of the site and actions taken with regard to the permanent closure of the road. 

IUCN and the Centre are awaiting the receipt of information requested. In the meantime IUCN has drawn the Centre’s attention to a new threat to Iguacu’s integrity, arising from plans to fill a hydropower reservoir in Southwest Brazil that would divert a considerable volume of Iguacu’s waters for seven to eight weeks every year.


Decision required: The Bureau may wish to adopt the following text and transmit it to the Committee for noting:
“The Bureau reiterates its request that the State Party provide information on items (1) and (2) as described above and on plans to divert Iguacu’s waters to fill a hydropower reservoir in Southwest Brazil. The Bureau also urges the State Party to invite a Centre/IUCN mission to the site in order to determine whether the site needs to be included in the List of World Heritage in Danger

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1998

Since 1997, the Bureau and the Committee have repeatedly called for the permanent closure of the18 km road traversing this Park which had been illegally opened by local people. The Bureau, at its twenty-second session (June, 1998) requested the Centre and IUCN to undertake a joint mission to review the situation and to assist the State Party to mitigate the threats to the Park and asked the State Party to provide by 15 September 1998: (i) a copy of the revitalisation programme and a time frame for the rehabilitation of damaged areas; and (ii) a detailed report on the state of conservation of the site and actions taken with regard to the permanent closure of the road.

The Bureau was informed of a new threat to Iguaçu’s integrity, arising from plans to fill a hydropower reservoir in Southwest Brazil that would divert a considerable volume of Iguaçu’s waters for seven to eight weeks every year.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 1998

The Bureau reiterated its request that the State Party provide information on items (i) and (ii) as described above and on plans to divert Iguacu’s waters to fill a hydropower reservoir in South-west Brazil. The Bureau also noted that a Centre/IUCN mission to the site could be scheduled in March 1999 in order to determine whether the site needs to be included in the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1998
22 BUR V.B.21
Iguacu National Park (Brazil)

The Bureau recalled that at its twenty-first ordinary session it requested the Brazilian authorities to close the 18km road traversing the Park that had been illegally re-opened by local people. The Committee at its last session (Naples, 1997), was informed by IUCN that the road had been temporarily closed, and that several actions had been undertaken by the Brazilian authorities to strengthen management of the Park. Nevertheless, the Committee called for the permanent closure of the road and requested the Brazilian authorities to provide information concerning the rehabilitation of the damaged areas.

The Centre informed the Bureau that: (1) on 11 January 1998, local people illegally re-gained access to the road in the Park; (2) the Brazilian National Congress had established a Task Force under its Permanent Environmental Commission to investigate the issue; (3) the Task Force visited the area on 5 March 1998 and urged that a solution to the conflict be found; (4) the National Institute for the Environment envisaged the preparation of a new management plan as soon as invaders left the area; and (5) members of the Brazilian judicial community have reiterated their call for the closure of the road. The Director of the UNESCO Office in Brazil received a letter dated 27 May 1998 from the Director of Ecosystems of the Ministry of the Environment, confirming that the road has been illegally reopened and that parts of the Park are damaged. The Ministry hopes to solve the problems through the Task Force, the revision of the Management Plan and the preparation of a comprehensive revitalisation programme.

The Bureau requested the Centre to prepare a mission to the site jointly with IUCN to review the situation and to assist the State Party to mitigate the threats to the Park. The Bureau furthermore requested the Centre to write to the Brazilian authorities to express its serious concerns with regard to the state of conservation of the site. The Bureau asked the State Party to provide by 15 September 1998: (1) a copy of the revitalisation programme and a time frame for the rehabilitation of damaged areas, and (2) a detailed report on the state of conservation of the site and actions taken with regard to the permanent closure of the road.

22 COM VII.27
Reports on the State of Conservation of Natural Properties Noted by the Committee

VII.27 The Committee noted the decisions of the twenty-second extraordinary session of the Bureau as reflected in the Report of the Bureau session (Working Document WHC-98/CONF.203/5) and included in Annex IV on the following properties:

  • Heard and McDonald Islands (Australia)
  • Shark Bay, Western Australia (Australia)
  • Wet Tropics of Queensland (Australia)
  • Belovezhskaya Pushcha/Bialowieza Forest (Belarus/Poland)
  • Iguacu National Park (Brazil)
  • Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon)
  • Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (Canada)
  • Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
  • Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
  • Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
  • Los Katios National Park (Colombia)
  • Morne Trois Pitons National Park (Dominica)
  • Nanda Devi National Park (India)
  • Whale Sanctuary of El Viscaino (Mexico)
  • Royal Chitwan National Park (Nepal)
  • Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal)
  • Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman)
  • Huascaran National Park (Peru)

The Committee noted that the Bureau's decision reflected the suggestion to establish an informal contact group on mining and World Heritage and that the IUCN "Draft Policy on Mining and Protected Areas" will be circulated.

  • Kamchatka Volcanoes (Russian Federation)
  • Virgin Komi Forests (Russian Federation)
  • Skocjan Caves (Slovenia)
  • Thung Yai-Huay Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries (Thailand)
  • St. Kilda (United Kingdom)
  • Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)
  • Durmitor National Park (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

The Committee noted the UN official name for the State Party: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

  • Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe)
Report year: 1998
Brazil
Date of Inscription: 1986
Category: Natural
Criteria: (vii)(x)
Danger List (dates): 1999-2001
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


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