Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan

Urban development pressures in the areas surrounding the property

In response to the request made by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session (Decision 36 COM 7B.101), in January 2014, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report that addresses the main issues noted by the decision and is accessible at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/414/documents.

The State Party has carried out an exhaustive inventory that assessed the physical state of conservation of archaeological areas within the buffer zone of the property. The inventory recorded architectural structures and wall paintings and any deterioration was quantified and its cause identified. Conservation and structural works have been undertaken, along with cleaning and the introduction of measures such as drainage systems and protective shelters, to prevent damage from water, insects and vegetation. Although this does not equate to an overarching conservation strategy, the State Party reported that inter-disciplinary meetings will be held in 2014 with the aim of implementing a conservation programme over the next four years to address the general conservation needs of architecture and wall painting, and the protective drainage systems and shelters.

It was further reported that an inter-institutional committee was set up in 2013 by the National Institute of Anthropology and History and the surrounding municipalities of the property for protection of the property and the management of urban development pressures, though little information has been submitted on this issue. Federal, State and Municipal bodies have entered into an agreement to create a Tourism Corridor Ecatepec-Teotihuacan-Nopaltepec to strengthen its historic cultural character and promote its tourism potential. It was also stated that a review of the Management Plan is being prepared by the National Coordination of Archaeology.

The report provided information on the monitoring of land use and urban pressure on the buffer zone and the wider setting of the property. For this purpose, a regional diagnosis based on aerial photography has been developed to identify inconsistencies in the urban development policies of the surrounding municipalities, with the aim of updating local development plans.

The current challenges facing the conservation and management of the property appear to be well understood and the recommendations made by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012) are being properly addressed. It is expected that the State Party will continue to monitor the state of conservation of the property through the enhancement of guidelines for interventions and pursue its efforts towards the rationalization of the Management Plan with land use policies and local development plans.