Komodo National Park

• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
• Management systems / management plan
• Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
• Fire (wildfires) (issue resolved)
• Illegal activities (Deer poaching; coral blasting; illegal dynamite and cyanide fishing) (issues resolved)

N/A

On 31 January 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report and an update on 16 March 2023, which are available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/609/documents and report the following:

• A draft of the Integrated Tourism Master Plan for Komodo National Park (KNP) and Labuan Bajo Flores (ITMP) to “guide [a] sustainable future for tourism” had been expected in July 2022. It aims to attain the target of 500,000 foreign and 1.5 million domestic tourists within a 4-year period (2016-2019), whilst ensuring that neither tourism nor development in the property will have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). It is reported to include a robust tourism management plan that is based on a 2018 carrying capacity study by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MOEF) and ensures the distribution of tourists across more than 100 sites outside the property including Flores island (in the wider setting of the property). The intention is to shift away from mass tourism and focus on sustainable “high-end” tourism and improved infrastructure to boost the local economy and stimulate community development. The State Party will collaborate with IUCN experts to ensure that no actions will have a negative impact on the OUV;
• Following finalization of the ITMP, a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be undertaken to ensure that any development proposed under the ITMP will not negatively impact the OUV. A tourism carrying capacity policy is implemented;
• There is no intention to relocate local people from Komodo Village. A community-based ecotourism programme is being developed, highlighting local community involvement and based on the traditions and cultures of Komodo Island;
• The revision of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Loh Buaya tourism infrastructure project on Rinca Island to align with the IUCN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and the development of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) was completed and appended to the report. The project is a renovation and expansion of existing park infrastructure required to sustainably accommodate growing tourism numbers and manage human-wildlife interactions, estimated to accommodate approximately 1,000 visitors per day. The EIA concludes no or negligible impacts on the OUV;
• Since August 2021, an online registration platform has been developed to better manage growing tourism at two sites (Gili Lawa Resort and Padar Selatan Resort) and quota limits are being considered in line with carrying capacity;
• The Komodo dragon population in KNP has remained relatively stable over the last 5 years. Long term monitoring and research continues through mark-recapture, camera traps and tagging in collaboration with the Komodo Survival Programme (KSP);
• Protection and surveillance efforts for the marine environment continue in collaboration with national and regional law enforcement agencies. The rate of infringements, specifically poaching and illegal fishing, has significantly decreased compared to previous years. Various coral transplantation and reef check activities were undertaken between 2019-2021. The 2020 Outline for the Future Marine Management of the Komodo National Park World Heritage Site provides recommendations for marine management:
• Five concessions have been issued to three private tourism companies within the utilisation zones in KNP (2014, 2015 and 2020 respectively), each for a period of 55 years and requiring a 55-year management plan (RRPA), 5-year management plan (RKL) and 1-year management plan (RKT). Tourism facilities proposed across various locations include, for example, guest houses, a cafeteria, viewing deck, swimming pools, and staff accommodation.

On 9 August 2021, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party requesting to verify third party information regarding tourism infrastructure development on Rinca Island, recalling the Committee’s request in Decision 44 COM 7B.93 to revise the related EIA in line with the IUCN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment and to resubmit this to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN as a matter of urgency.

On 1 to 7 March 2022, a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission visited the property. The report is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/609/documents.

On 23 February 2023, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party, conveying third-party information regarding a potential increase in the entry fees to KNP and requesting an update to the State Party on this matter. The State Party responded on 28 March 2023 confirming that there is no increase of the entrance fee.

On 24 March 2023, the State Party submitted to the World Heritage Centre an updated map and cartographic information on the property, which are under review by the World Heritage Centre.

The prioritisation of KNP and the Labuan Bajo Flores region by the President of Indonesia as one of five high-priority tourism destinations in Indonesia provides an opportunity for the State Party to position the property as a leading sustainable tourism destination that is based on high-quality visitor experience which ensures the protection and management of the OUV. In this regard, the State Party’s confirmation that it is moving away from mass tourism is noted. However, noting the projected significant increase in visitor numbers and the plans to expand tourism developments within KNP including through the five private concessions, it will be important for the State Party to ensure a strategic and precautionary approach to tourism development that focuses on sustainable high-quality visitor experience that ensures the protection of the OUV and avoids any negative impact on it.

The draft ITMP provides an overarching framework for tourism management for the property and its wider setting and it is recommended to finalise this in line with international best practice standards and the recommendations of the 2022 Reactive Monitoring mission, focusing on the protection of the OUV.

In response to the third-party concerns transmitted by the World Heritage Centre to the State Party in 2021 regarding reported changes to the zoning system of the property in 2020 to reduce wilderness areas and facilitate development, the State Party informed the mission that no substantive changes were made to the zoning system in 2020. However, regarding the changes that took place in the 2012 decree which the World Heritage Centre was not informed of by the State Party, the transformation of wilderness zones into utilization zones is of concern, given that this change appears to have been implemented without a review of the potential impacts on the OUV. It is recommended that a study is implemented to review if the current zoning and resulting tourism development is adequate to ensure the protection status and the OUV of the property.

Specifically regarding tourism development projects within the property, it is important that any proposed developments are first assessed for their potential impact on the OUV of the property, prior to any approvals being issued. In this regard, the 2020 Ministerial decree which exempts tourism infrastructure within KNP from EIA requirements is a particular concern, especially given that several private tourism concessions have been issued with plans for future development, and that KNP and Labuan Bajo are prioritised more broadly for tourism development. It is therefore positive that the authorities confirmed during the mission that EIAs will be required going forward and that an SEA will be undertaken following completion of the ITMP. An SEA allows the State Party to take an informed strategic decision regarding tourism development beyond individual projects and in the specific context of the World Heritage values. It is recommended that an SEA is completed prior to the approval of individual projects, and that proposals for projects located within the property or its wider setting are assessed for their potential impact on the OUV in line with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, which replaced the IUCN Advice Note in 2022, prior to considering any approval of individual projects including private tourism concessions. The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies are available to provide training on the new Guidance.

Recalling third party concerns that the Loh Buaya project on Rinca Island was presented as a mass tourism project, it is noted that it is an upgrade and extension of an existing ranger post and ecotourism facility publicly managed by the KNP Authority, which aims to address increasing tourism pressure on the OUV. This was expected to open in mid-2022. Noting that construction of the project continued during the revision of the EIA that was requested by the Committee, it is important to recall that impact assessments must be undertaken prior to any approval or construction processes in order to effectively inform decision making, and not retrospectively. The State Party’s efforts to revise the initial EIA are noted, which concluded that there would be no significant impact on the OUV. It is recommended that the State Party ensure sufficient monitoring and management measures are in place, including through implementation of the EMP, to effectively protect and manage the OUV and avoid any potential future negative impacts that may result from increasing visitation, such as increased tourism pressure.

Recalling that in 2021 the status of the Komodo dragon moved from Vulnerable to Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to impact of climate change and habitat loss from ongoing human activities, it is positive that monitoring and research indicates a stable population trend for the KNP subpopulation and its associated prey over the last 5 years. It is recommended that monitoring and management is continued in collaboration with the KSP and researchers. It will be important that the planned tourism expansion in the property and wider region fundamentally ensures the protection and management of, and does not negatively impact on, the species including its natural behaviour and ecosystem.

The State Party’s confirmation that there will be no relocation of local communities from any protected area, and the intention to develop community-based ecotourism, is positive. Considering the various third-party concerns received by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN in recent years regarding local livelihoods in the context of tourism development (e.g., the removal of local communities or the potential increase in entry fees on Komodo Island for exclusive access), it is important that the State Party ensures the appropriate engagement of local communities in decision-making processes in line with international best-practice policies. Tourism development should be focused on high-quality experience tourism that includes providing opportunities and benefits for the local communities.

Recalling the importance of the marine ecosystem, the reported significant reduction in poaching and illegal fishing due to ongoing surveillance efforts is positive, although details were not provided. Whilst individual marine monitoring activities, e.g., coral transplantation and Reef Check surveys, have been undertaken in recent years, the capacity for the KNP Authority to implement a consolidated marine monitoring and management programme for the property appears to be limited and require further capacity. It is recommended the State Party further strengthen marine monitoring and management capacity, taking into consideration the mission recommendations and the previous 2020 UNESCO report Outline for the Future Marine Management of the Komodo National Park World Heritage Site.

The submission of a new map and cartographic information of the property by the State Party for boundary clarification is welcomed, and it is recommended that the State Party continue engaging with the World Heritage Centre to clarify the boundaries of the property, as also recommended by the 2022 Reactive Monitoring mission.