Everglades National Park
Factors affecting the property in 2024*
- Ground transport infrastructure
- Housing
- Invasive / alien freshwater species
- Other climate change impacts
- Storms
- Surface water pollution
- Water infrastructure
- Other Threats:
Mercury contamination of fish and wildlife
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Water infrastructure (quantity and quality of water entering the property)
- Housing (urban encroachment)
- Surface water pollution and Pollution of marine waters (agricultural fertilizer pollution, Mercury contamination of fish and wildlife)
- Water infrastructure (lowered water levels due to flood control measures)
- Storms (damage from hurricanes)
- Invasive/alien species or hyper-abundant species (exotic invasive plant and animal species)
- Adverse impact of the planned extension of the SR 836 / Dolphin Expressway on the Greater Everglades wetland ecosystem
- Increasing impacts of climate change
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
The property was re-inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, on the request of the State Party, due to concerns that the property’s aquatic ecosystem continues to deteriorate, in particular as a result of:
- Alterations of the hydrological regime (quantity, timing, and distribution of Shark Slough inflows)
- Adjacent urban and agricultural growth (flood protection and water supply requirements that affect the property’s resources by lowering water levels)
- Increased nutrient pollution from upstream agricultural activities
- Significant reduction of both marine and estuarine biodiversity in Florida Bay
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4348
Corrective Measures for the property
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1062
Updated, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4348
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1062
Updated, see pages https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4348 and https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4958/
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2024
N/A
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2024
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2024**
May 1999: World Heritage Centre mission; April 2006: IUCN participation in a technical workshop to identify benchmarks and corrective measures; January 2011: joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission;
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2024
A report on the state of conservation of the property was not requested by the World Heritage Committee until its 47th session in 2025 (Decision 45 COM 7A.17). This decision was based on the view expressed by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN in 2013 that the implementation of the corrective measures and the improvement of the indicators of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) will require more time.
On 29 January 2024, the State Party submitted to the World Heritage Centre an updated report on the proposed extension of the Florida State Highway known as SR 836/Dolphin Expressway, in response to the request of the World Heritage Committee (Decision 45 COM 7A.17) for examination at its 47th session. The report states that the proposed extension has been challenged in the State Division of Administrative Hearings Court for planning inconsistency with the Miami-Dade County Comprehensive Development Master Plan. As of April 2024, the expected decision is still pending.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2024
The submission of the updated report on the SR 836/Dolphin Expressway Road extension project is acknowledged, noting that the project is temporarily halted due to a legal challenge in the State Division of Administrative Hearings Court for planning inconsistency with the Miami-Dade County Comprehensive Development Master Plan, which is pending a decision. The State Party will provide further updates in its next report to the Committee.
The World Heritage Centre and IUCN recommend to the World Heritage Committee that the property be retained on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2024
Draft Decision: 46 COM 7A.41
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7A,
- Recalling Decision 45 COM 7A.17 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
- Acknowledges the submission of the updated report on the proposed SR 836/Dolphin Expressway Road extension project, and takes note that the project is temporarily halted due to a legal challenge in the State Division of Administrative Hearings Court for planning inconsistency with the Miami-Dade County Comprehensive Development Master Plan, for which a decision is pending;
- Recalls its request to the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2024 an updated report on the state of conservation of the property for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session;
- Decides to retain Everglades National Park (United States of America) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
United States of America
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.
