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Sangay National Park

Ecuador
Factors affecting the property in 2003*
  • Forestry /wood production
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Human resources
  • 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
  • ineffective management plan
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2003
Requests approved: 2 (from 1985-1993)
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
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2003

WHC:

In a letter dated 6 February 2003, the Centre requested the State Party to submit a report on the conservation of the site. To date, no report has been received.

Sangay National Park is one of the sites included in the UN Foundation (UNF) financed IUCN/UNESCO pilot project “Enhancing Our Heritage: Monitoring and Managing for Success in World Natural Heritage Sites” (abbreviated as EOH Project). At its 25th session, the Committee requested to receive regular progress reports on the activities of the project. The project was developed in 2001 and the first phase of implementation commenced in April 2002. The project management in cooperation with the IUCN Regional Office for South America, organized two national workshops in order to discuss the development of indicators and benchmarks to monitor changes in the state of conservation of this site, as well as linking the monitoring with the timing of the possible removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The project report shows that various inventories and studies needed for developing such benchmarks and indicators are currently absent; they include: biological inventories, archaeological resources, socio-economic studies, stakeholders analysis, land tenure information, necessary budget for the adequate management of the Park, etc.

The key strengths and weaknesses in management identified by the project include:

·  In general the national legislation provides an adequate legal framework for the protected area. There are however several laws and sector policies that threaten the integrity of the area through the promotion of incompatible activities.

·  The zoning plan was designed and implemented without field verification or community consultation; subsequently there are several problems, including unresolved land tenure conflicts in the northern and southern Andean zones of the site.

·  Land tenure information remains incomplete and there are no strategies in place to resolve conflicts.

·  The Park’s management plan is generally ineffective and problematic. It is out of date and lacks indicators for analysing implementation and accomplishments. Local communities and Park staff lack familiarity with it, and the annual operations plan and monthly work plan are not guided by it.

·  Staff deficiencies are prevalent. The management capacity of the protected area is reduced due to insufficient staff numbers, skills and knowledge.

·  Deforestation is a problem in the Amazon zone of the site due to human settlements within and around the Park. Inappropriate agricultural practices, grazing activities, fishing and hunting within the park all contribute to this. However, a habitat quality assessment showed the natural vegetation of the Park is generally in good condition.

·  Enforcement limitations and institutional weakness reduce the capacity of the management authority.

 

Key priority needs identified through the management evaluation process include:

·  Urgent update and revision of the management plan of the site.

·  Development of a community liaison programme focusing on conflict resolution and building partnerships is needed to improve relations between the Park staff and the communities resident in and around the Park.

·  Development of the staff capacity in the management of the Park, including maintenance, monitoring, conflict resolution and enforcement.

·  Increased resources for operational costs and maintenance in the highlands where administration and implementation of services are unsatisfactory.

·  Sustainable development needs to be addressed through the development of an education programme and an alternative revenue generating strategy including a feasibility study of alternative income generation options.

·  A detailed socio-economic study of the communities within and near the Park should be prepared.

 

IUCN notes that Fundacion Natura, in conjunction with EcoCiencia and the Ministry of Environment, coordinates the evaluation process of the EOH Project. The project report includes results of the Fundacion Natura’s Sangay Project, originally presented in a document “Evaluacion de Eficiencia de Manejo del Parque Nacional Sangay” in 2002. The Sangay Project showed that the construction of a segment of the Guamote – Macas road in the Park threatens the integrity of the site and to mitigate this threat an intensified social and environmental monitoring and enforcement efforts are required.

 

IUCN:

The new information provided above has been proposed on a consensual basis between IUCN and the Centre. 

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2003
27 COM 7A.13
Sangay National Park (Ecuador)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Expresses satisfaction with the progress made by the IUCN/UNESCO/United Nations Foundation (UNF) Project "Enhancing Our Heritage" (EOH);

2. Commends the State Party for its co-operation on this project and urges the State Party to continue this collaboration in order to improve protection of the property;

3. Recommends that the State Party work closely with the coordinator of the project "Enhancing Our Heritage" and Fundacion Natura in order to seek appropriate funding for the revision of the management plan as a priority, and for the participatory development of a community liaison and a capacity- building programme;

4. Expresses concern that the Guamote-Macas road continues to threaten the integrity of the property and urges the State Party to consider all possible mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of the road on the property;

5. Recommends that the State Party in co-operation with the coordinators of the EOH and the Fundacion Natura projects, provide a detailed update to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2004 on the state of conservation of Sangay, including benchmarks and indicators that may be useful in deciding the timing of the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 28th session in 2004;

6. Decides to retain the Sangay National Park on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

27 COM 8B.2
Properties maintained on the List of World Heritage in Danger

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Following examination of state of conservation reports of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-03/27.COM/7A),;

2. Decides to maintain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:

  • Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, Afghanistan (27 COM 7A.21)
  • Butrint, Albania (27 COM 7A.26 )
  • Tipasa, Algeria (27 COM 7A.17)
  • Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin (27 COM 7A.15)
  • Angkor, Cambodia (27 COM 7A.22)
  • Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, Central African Republic (27 COM 7A.12 )
  • Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea (27 COM 7A.4)
  • Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
  • Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
  • Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2) 
  • Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
  • Sangay National Park, Ecuador (27 COM 7A.13)
  • Abu Mena, Egypt (27 COM 7A.18)
  • Simien National Park, Ethiopia (27 COM 7A.3)
  • Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras (27 COM 7A.14)
  • Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, India (27 COM 7A.9)
  • Group of Monuments at Hampi, India (27 COM 7A.23)
  • Old City of Jerusalem & its Walls (27COM7A.29)
  • Timbuktu, Mali (27 COM 7A.16)
  • Air & Ténéré Natural Reserves, Niger (27 COM 7A.5)
  • Bahla Fort, Oman (27 COM 7A.19)
  • Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan (27 COM 7A.242)
  • Chan Chan Archaeological Zone, Peru (27 COM 7A.28)
  • Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines (27 COM 7A.25)
  • Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal (27 COM 7A.6)
  • Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia (27 COM 7A.8)
  • Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Uganda (27 COM 7A.7) 
  • Everglades National Park, United States of America (27 COM 7A.11)
  • Historic Town of Zabid, Yemen (27 COM 7A.20)

Draft 27 COM 7 (a) 13

 

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Expresses satisfaction with the progress made by the IUCN/UNESCO/UNF Project “Enhancing Our Heritage”;

2. Commends the State Party for its cooperation with this project and urges the State Party to continue this collaboration in order to improve protection of the site;

3. Recommends that the State Party work closely with the coordinator of the project “Enhancing Our Heritage” and Fundacion Natura in order to seek appropriate funding for the revision of the management plan as a priority, and for the participatory development of a community liaison and a capacity building programme;

4. Expresses concern on the fact that the Guamote- Macas road continues to threaten the integrity of the site and urges the State Party to consider all possible mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of the road on the site;

5. Recommends that the State Party in co-operation with the coordinators of the EOH and the Fundacion Natura projects, provide a detailed update on the state of conservation of Sangay, including benchmarks and indicators that may be useful in deciding the timing of the removal of the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger for review at the 28th session of the Committee in 2004; and

6. Decides to retain the Sangay National Park on the List of World Heritage in Danger. 

Report year: 2003
Ecuador
Date of Inscription: 1983
Category: Natural
Criteria: (vii)(viii)(ix)(x)
Danger List (dates): 1992-2005
Documents examined by the Committee
arrow_circle_right 27COM (2003)
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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