Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex

• Illegal activities (Poaching and illegal logging)
• Ground transport infrastructure (Road expansion, in particular regarding Highway 304)
• Land conversion (Encroachment)
• Management systems/management plan
• Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
• Water infrastructure (Dams)
• Livestock farming/grazing of domesticated animals (Cattle grazing) (issue resolved)
• Other threats: Forest fragmentation (connectivity and the need for ecological corridors)

N/A

On 1 February 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, an executive summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/590/documents/, and reports the following:

• International cooperation meetings with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the prevention and suppression of illegal logging and trade of Siamese Rosewood have been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the State Party commits to strengthening the cooperation when the circumstances allow;
• Several activities to prevent illegal logging of Siamese rosewood and other precious wood species are being conducted in line with the 2020-2022 Action Plan on the Protection of Protected Forest Areas and Forest Fire Control. In 2021, Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) patrols covered 85% of the property, a North-eastern Aviation Center was established at Khao Yai National Park to support aerial patrols, camera traps were installed across the property under the Network Centric Anti-Poaching System (NCAPS) and capacity building was provided for rangers. These actions have led to a considerable decline in offenders and the volume of confiscated timber. The Action Plan includes quantitative and qualitative Key Performance Indicators for the protection of Siamese Rosewood and other precious wood species for 38 protected areas including the property. However, the annual budget for the fiscal year 2022 to implement activities at the property under the 2020-2022 Action Plan was reduced to less than one quarter of the previous year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and Thailand on transboundary biodiversity conservation and law enforcement to address illegal logging along the border is continuing;
• The 2019 amendment of the National Park Act and Wildlife Protection and Reservation Act is stated to strike a balance between conservation and land use by communities in accordance with government policy and the conservation of forest resources and ecosystems;
• The implementation of mitigation measures and the monitoring of environmental impacts for Highway 304 and Huay Samong Dam are ongoing;
• The construction of all dams and reservoirs within and adjacent to the property is suspended, including the seven dam projects stressed by the Committee (Decision 44 COM 7B.97), until a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the river basin is conducted and reviewed by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
• There has been no land encroachment or resort development inside the property since December 2014;
• Other updates include the application of new stricter tourism measures since reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic and a biodiversity survey across different taxa.

In a letter dated 18 November 2021, the State Party requested technical assistance from IUCN in undertaking an SEA. IUCN replied on 8 December 2021 and 17 January 2022 to propose a call between the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to discuss the SEA. Whilst no response had been received regarding the call at the time of writing this report, on 10 July 2023 the State Party contacted IUCN for guidance on the scope of the SEA, which was provided on 17 July 2023.

On 23 March 2023, the World Heritage Centre transmitted third party information to the State Party regarding a potential reduction of the boundary of the Thap Lan National Park, a component part of the property. On 21 June 2023 the State Party replied to confirm that the boundary of the Thap Lan National Park has not been modified and that the procedures are underway to “collectively reconsider and complete the unclear boundary demarcation” of the Thap Lan National Park, with possible exclusion of some areas from the National Park, in the context of the 2019 National Land Policy Board Act B.E. 2562 (2019) to set goals, policies and development approach to maximize the benefits from national land and soil utilization. The State Party also indicated that it would notify the World Heritage Centre, should it proceed with a boundary modification in accordance with the Operational Guidelines.

In spite of international cooperation on illegal logging, trade of Siamese Rosewood and law enforcement were largely paused during 2020-2021; nonetheless, it is positive to see that the decline in offenders and the volume of confiscated timber have been sustained through this period. The State Party’s strong commitment to addressing illegal rosewood logging is appreciated, and it is important to keep the momentum on the international collaboration to address illegal trade, along with appropriate law enforcement and prosecution to halt illegal logging within the property.

Progress is noted in the implementation of the new 2020-2022 Action Plan, which is applied nationally and appears to be a follow-up to the 2014-2019 Action Plan to Prevent and Suppress Illegal Logging and Trade of Siamese Rosewood in Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex. It is noted that this new Action Plan includes Key Performance Indicators, which are suggested to address the Committee’s previous request to redefine the indicators, based on the 2016 Reactive Monitoring mission recommendation (Decision 44 COM 7B.97). Recalling the mission’s recommendation about the need for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound (SMART) indicators, it is recommended that the State Party ensure the current and future Action Plan for the property address these concerns, and that a summary of the revised indicators, together with their means of verification, are provided in the next state of conservation report. However, it is of concern that the budget for activities to protect Siamese Rosewood and other valuable timber species within the property has been significantly reduced for the fiscal year 2022 as a result of the pandemic. It would be important that sufficient funds are allocated for the implementation of the 2020-2022 Action Plan to ensure the continued protection of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property.

The confirmation provided by the State Party in June 2023 that procedures are underway at the national level to reconsider and complete the unclear boundary demarcation of the Thap Lan National Park, with possible exclusion of some areas from the National Park, is of significant concern. It should be recalled that the requirement to have a sufficient level of legal protection is a critical pillar of the OUV of the property, and therefore the State Party should not exclude any area within the property from the National Park or approve the implementation of activities in these areas prior to developing and submitting a significant boundary modification to the World Heritage Centre, in line with the Operational Guidelines, and its subsequent approval by the World Heritage Committee. Doing so may constitute the basis for the inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, in line with Paragraph 180(b) of the Operational Guidelines.

The State Party should also be requested to continue close consultations with local communities and critically monitor the effects of the legislation for the communities and the conservation of the property, in light of the 2019 amendment of the National Park Act and Wildlife Protection and Reservation Act, through which the State Party is seeking to accommodate local communities to pursue their livelihoods in a sustainable manner.

Whilst it is noted that the construction of all dams proposed within and adjacent to the property is suspended until an SEA is finalized, it is important to recall the position, as per Decision 40 COM 7, reflected in the Committee’s previous decisions that dams with reservoirs inside property boundaries are not compatible with World Heritage status and should not be permitted (Decisions 41 COM 7B.32 and 44 COM 7B.97). The State Party’s intention to seek early advice from IUCN before the SEA is started is welcomed, particularly as it can help ensure a shared understanding of the objectives of the SEA, and hence of the geographical and technical scope of the assessment, and that the process and methodology will follow international best practice and guidelines for SEAs. Once the SEA is completed, it should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN, ensuring that no decision is taken and no work started on any dam development near the property and in the river basin until this review is positively concluded.

The continued implementation of mitigation measures and monitoring of Highway 304 and Huay Samong Dam are appreciated, and it is considered that, unless the State Party encounters any issue or identifies any negative impact on the OUV of the property, further updates on this infrastructure are not required. It is also reassuring that no further land encroachment or resort development has occurred within the property.

No update is provided on the proposal to seek an alternative to expanding Highway 348 inside the property. Recalling that the State Party previously noted the passing of a Cabinet resolution to halt its expansion, in line with Committee Decision 41 COM 7B.32, it is recommended that the State Party be requested to provide an update on progress.