Tiwanaku: Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture

a) Lack of a management plan for the site;

b) Lack of coordinated conservation policies and interventions between the national government and the Municipality of Tiwanaku;

c) Need for the designation of a national counterpart for the JFIT project and a site manager at the local level;

d) Lack of governance.

Total amount provided to the property: USD 870 000 (2008-2011, Japanese Funds-in-Trust-JFIT project) 

The State Party did not submit a state of conservation report as was requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010). However, a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission was carried out in November 2010 to evaluate the current state of conservation of the property, as well as the management arrangements and the progress made in the implementation of prior Decisions of the World Heritage Committee.

a) Management system

The mission reports that legislative and regulatory frameworks are currently being reviewed with a new Ministerial Decree foreseen for the property to regulate the roles and responsibilities of the various entities at the local and national levels. The proposed management system will entail participation from the local communities; however the mission noted that the proposed Board will include political representatives who will be making technical decisions. Modifications to the composition of the Board have been suggested to ensure the technical management of the site. As for institutional arrangements, the appointment of new directors at different levels and the hiring of professionally trained staff are expected to improve failed co-ordination and also facilitate dialogue between the local and national governments, for better conservation and management of the property. However, there are still issues to be resolved regarding skilled technical workers to carry out interventions.

The management plan for the property has not been finalized, which has hindered the sustained implementation of actions for the property. The mission noted that a participatory approach is needed to ensure its adoption by the diverse stakeholders involved with the property. It is important that the management plan for the property be integrated with on-going initiatives focused on the development of land use and development programmes currently being financed by the World Bank for the Lake Titicaca Project.

b) Protection of the property

The mission reports that no policy has been developed for the integrated management of the property and its surrounding areas, and that land use plans have yet to be developed. Only the monumental centre has been physically de-limited, however no surveys have been carried out to determine the extent of the area that needs to be protected. The zoning of the property, including the definition of a buffer zone, remains a critical need. In addition, the lack of enforcement of regulations and the limited awareness regarding the significance of the archaeological heritage has impacted the remains as no archaeological evaluation or supervision is conducted when works are being implemented. Municipal ordinances are needed to provide regulations for the use of the various zones, as well as procedures for all public works.

c) Current state of conservation

The mission reports that information on interventions carried out is very limited and there is no central repository of data that would facilitate decision-making for the property. As for the archaeological structures, the mission carried out a detailed inspection and identified decay factors and processes arising both from natural and man-made phenomena. Main issues identified are related to the uncontrolled flow of rainwater and lack of proper drainage, soil erosion, biological and stone decay. The mission also noted that interventions at buildings have not been based on archaeological and topographic information, and there is no integrated approach to interventions which has greatly impacted the structures, in particular the Akapana building. Additionally, there are no visitor management strategies in place which has also affected the fabric of the property. Adequate interpretation and presentation is also lacking, in particular the relationship between the ceremonial and the urban centres. The management plan will need to include a comprehensive conservation plan, with precise interventions for each of the monuments including guidelines and principles that take into account practice and standards at the international level, as well as a public use plan. The existing museums are in poor condition and affecting the existing collections, and no interventions are currently being carried out pending the judicial resolution of cases involving both museums.

d) UNESCO Project for the Conservation and Preservation of Tiwanaku and the Akapana Pyramid

The mission reports that the implementation of the Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) project has been hindered by the lack of co-ordination between the various entities at the national and local levels, however new arrangements are expected to overcome this impasse. New timeframes and a plan of activities need to be determined in accordance with new conditions in the country, and pending the approval of the Ministerial Decree to ensure the official endorsement and sustained implementation of the project.

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies recommend that the World Heritage Committee express its concern regarding the delay in the finalization of the property’s management plan. They consider that current approaches to the interventions being carried out at the property, with particular focus on the Akapana Pyramid, should be re-evaluated, with a focus on scientific archaeological interventions and conservation actions. They also recommend that the World Heritage Committee invite the State Party to pursue with urgency the organization of an international meeting to define regulations and guidelines for the development of a conservation plan for the property.