Sangay National Park
Factors affecting the property in 2000*
- Ground transport infrastructure
- Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
- Illegal activities
- Land conversion
- Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
- Management systems/ management plan
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- heavy poaching of wildlife,
- illegal livestock grazing,
- encroachment along the Park's perimeter,
- unplanned road construction.
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2000
Total amount approved : 58,500 USD
| 1993 | Equipement for Sangay National Park (Approved) | 28,500 USD |
| 1985 | Public awareness programmes for local communities and ... (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2000**
March 1989: IUCN; June 1999: IUCN expert mission
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 2000
Summary of previous deliberations:
Twenty-third session of the Committee – paragraph number – X.5
Twenty-third ordinary session of the Bureau – paragraph number – IV.4
New information: At its last session in Morocco (November – December 1999) the Committee had expressed its agreement with the State Party‘s proposal that the effects of the inclusion of Sangay in the List of World Heritage in Danger should be evaluated. In accordance with that recommendation, the Centre and IUCN intend to invite a paper from the Ecuadorean authorities for presentation at a workshop on the “Role of the World Heritage in Danger List in promoting international co-operation for the conservation of World Heritage sites”. This workshop is due to be convened at the time of IUCN‘s World Conservation Congress, from 3 to 10 October 2000, in Amman, Jordan. Several other States Parties that have the experience in using the List of World Heritage in Danger as an instrument for international co-operation will also be invited to submit presentations at the workshop.
Action Required
The Bureau recommends that the Committee retain this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Bureau encourages the State Party to describe in detail, as part of the paper it will be invited to present at the Amman workshop, positive and negative impacts of the inclusion of the site in the List of World Heritage in Danger and their relevance to the long-term conservation of the site. As part of the deliberations during that workshop, the Ecuadorean authorities, the Centre and IUCN may consider elaborating a plan, including the description of indicators and benchmarks, for the continuous monitoring of the state of conservation of Sangay and for the eventual removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Bureau invites the State Party to provide a summary of its presentation due to be submitted at the forthcoming workshop in Amman, and a plan for further monitoring and possible removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger to the twenty-fourth ordinary session of the Committee.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2000
IUCN has reviewed the state of conservation report submitted by the State Party as attachment to a letter dated 27 July 2000 to the Centre. This report addresses the efforts of the State Party in trying to enhance conservation of this site despite the difficult economic situation of the country. The conclusions of the report point to the fact that as accessibility to the site has improved due to the Guamote-Macas road, threats to the integrity of the Park are also rising. Pressures arising from the intention of local people to move into the Park following the eruption of the Tungurahua Volcano are also a major concern.This report from the State Party re-inforces the findings of the IUCN mission to this site in July 1999. IUCN has commended the State Party’s efforts to strengthen conservation of this site and recommended that the site should be retained in the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Minister for Environment for Ecuador is due to make a presentation on the case of Sangay National Park at the Centre/IUCN workshop on the "Role of World Heritage in Danger Listing in Promoting International Co-operation for the Conservation of World Natural Heritage", in Amman, Jordan, during 6-7 October 2000. At that workshop Centre and IUCN staff will discuss with the Ecuadorean authorities the elaboration of a plan, including the description of indicators and benchmarks, for the continuous monitoring of the state of conservation of Sangay and for the eventual removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2000
24 BUR IV.A.6
Sangay National Park (Ecuador)
At its last session in Morocco (November – December 1999) the Committee expressed its agreement with the State Party's proposal that the effects of the inclusion of Sangay in the List of World Heritage in Danger should be evaluated. In accordance with that recommendation, the Centre and IUCN intend to invite a paper from the Ecuadorean authorities for presentation at a workshop on the ²Role of the List of World Heritage in Danger in promoting international co-operation for the conservation of World Heritage sites². This workshop is planned to be convened at the time of IUCN‘s World Conservation Congress, from 3 to 10 October 2000, in Amman, Jordan. Several other States Parties that have experience in using the List of World Heritage in Danger as an instrument for international co-operation will also be invited to submit presentations at the workshop.
The Bureau was informed of a meeting involving Centre staff and the Minister for the Environment of Ecuador, and which took place in UNESCO, on 22 May 2000. The Minister informed the Centre that the Guamote-Macas road is now completed and his Government will explore the actions required to minimise impacts of this road. The Bureau concurred with the view of IUCN that the mitigation of impacts of the Guamote Macas Road and the effective implementation of the new management plan for the site are the priorities for improving the state of conservation of this site. The Representative of IUCN noted that the case of the Sangay National Park illustrated the usefulness of inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Bureau recommended that the Committee retain this site in the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Bureau encouraged the State Party to describe in detail, as part of the paper it will be invited to present at the Amman Workshop, positive and negative impacts of the inclusion of the site in the List of World Heritage in Danger and their relevance to the long-term conservation of the site. As part of the deliberations during that Workshop, the Bureau invited the Ecuadorean authorities, the Centre and IUCN to elaborate a plan, including the description of indicators and benchmarks, for the continuous monitoring of the state of conservation of Sangay and for the eventual removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Bureau invited the State Party to provide the twenty-fourth ordinary session of the Committee with a summary of its presentation due to be submitted at the forthcoming Workshop in Amman, and a plan for further monitoring leading to possible removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger.
24 COM VIII.7
Sangay National Park (Ecuador)
VIII.7 Sangay National Park (Ecuador)
The Committee was informed that the Minister for Environment of Ecuador participated in the Amman Workshop and had noted that the inclusion of the Sangay National Park in the List of World Heritage in Danger had helped the Ministry of Environment in negotiations with the Ministry Public Works and other Government bodies to obtain resources to evaluate environmental impacts of the Guamote Macas Road and plan mitigation measures. The Minister was of the view that despite recent improvements in the state of conservation of the site, Sangay should continue to remain in the List of World Heritage in Danger. IUCN informed the Committee that the increased access to the site resulting from the construction of the Guamote Macas Road could threaten the integrity of the site The Committee requested that the Centre and IUCN continue negotiations with the State Party to elaborate a plan with indicators and benchmarks, including those that could signal the timing for the removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Committee endorsed IUCN's view that indicators must directly relate to the values for which the site had been granted World Heritage status and that they should be clear, understandable and capable of replication over time. The Committee retained Sangay in the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Committee may wish to review new information that may be available at the time of its session and take necessary decisions and recommend appropriate actions for the consideration of the State Party, advisory bodies and the Centre
Ecuador
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.
