Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

• Financial resources
• Human resources
• Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
• Illegal activities (settlements, livestock grazing and agricultural encroachment, drug trafficking, logging, commercial fishing, poaching and wildlife trade)
• Invasive/alien terrestrial species
• Land conversion (deforestation and forest degradation)
• Legal framework (lawlessness and lack of law enforcement)
• Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
• Management systems/ management plan (lack of clarity of the boundaries of the property, lack of clarity regarding land tenure and access to natural resources)
• Water infrastructure (potential impacts from hydroelectric development projects Patuca I, II and III)
• Overlap with important archaeological sites implying a need to harmonize management of cultural and natural heritage

• Illegal logging
• Illegal occupation
• Lack of clarity regarding land tenure
• Reduced capacity of the State Party
• General deterioration of law and order and the security situation in the region

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6236 

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6236

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/623

Total amount granted: USD 80,000 (in addition to approximately USD 100,000 of in-kind technical assistance) under the management effectiveness assessment project “Enhancing our Heritage” 

On 7 February 2024, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/196/documents, providing the following information:

• The area affected by new deforestation evolved from 5,358 hectares (ha) in 2021-2022 to 1,790 ha during 2022-2023, representing a 66% reduction;
• A remote sensing early warning system has been implemented to identify deforestation and inform control. Forest rangers and technical staff have been hired, an inter-institutional control post and military outpost, and coordination with the Honduran Armed Forces for the green battalion initiative, have been established to monitor and control illegal activities;
• Jaguars are monitored. To reduce conflicts between jaguars and cattle farms near the forest, and feline deaths, a project has been developed to put in place electric fences, other anti-depredation measures and local capacity-building;
• A Management Committee for the Management and Conservation of the Reserve has been formed, including youth, indigenous and Afro-Honduran territorial council representation;
• Alliances with non-governmental organizations have been established for training and hiring of community forest rangers, alongside the creation of the Inter-institutional Subcommittee for land tenure and protection of territories and natural resources;
• In total, 394,391 ha have been titled to indigenous peoples and Afro-Hondurans in the Río Plátano Man and the Biosphere Reserve. This includes the entirety of the terrestrial area of the cultural zone of the Reserve, as well as 8,238 ha of the buffer zone, which includes the entire territories of Pech de Jocomico and Culuco, and partially the Misquito territory of Rayaka and the Pech territory of Las Marías;
• For regularization of land tenure in the buffer zone, the State Party has committed to establishing the Family Usufruct Maintenance Unit to oversee the coordination of usufruct contracts in the property. A total of 157 contracts have been established, while 7 new contracts were established for the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve. A total of 51 contracts were established (from 2019 to 2023) within the boundaries of the property, while 13 contracts are still pending;
• Prior to initiating a Significant Boundary Modification process, resources are focussed on efforts to consolidate broader management and governance frameworks and designate protected areas in the vicinity of the property, notably through the Renewed Vision for Conservation and Defence of the Moskitia;
• The Patuca III Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) is in commercial operation, progressing on the 108 compulsory environmental mitigation measures and beginning implementing the Environmental and Social Management System (SGAS) for the project. The State Party indicates that an Advisory mission is necessary to advise on the actions to protect the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) in relation to the dam’s operation.
• Proposals to modify the indicators for the Desired state of conservation of the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) are presented.

The strengthened and ongoing inter-institutional efforts to address illegal activity in the property, notably poaching, deforestation and illegal settlement, are noted with appreciation, and the State Party should be requested to consolidate the advances made to reduce illegal activities by ongoing enforcement and engagement with local communities.

The completion of the land titling process giving property rights to indigenous and Afro-Honduran peoples in the cultural zone of the Biosphere Reserve is welcomed, and the State Party should ensure that management responsibilities and usage rights are assigned through continued issuance and maintenance of Family Usufruct contracts, as appropriate.

Whilst the rate of deforestation is reported to be slowing, according to figures presented by the State Party, it is noted with concern that deforestation persists within the property, and the State Party should be urged to strengthen measures to address illegal deforestation and promote restoration, including through reported initiatives.

It is noted that efforts have been focused on securing relevant management and governance frameworks in addition to the designation of protected areas adjacent to the property prior to developing a proposal for a Significant Boundary Modification. It is recalled that in addition, the Committee has requested the State Party to secure the necessary technical and financial resources required for consultations, especially with indigenous and Afro-Honduran territorial councils, as a crucial step towards achieving the DSOCR, with full consideration of the archaeological heritage of the property and corresponding actors.

It is regrettable that the HPP has proceeded to operation without adequate assessment of impacts on the OUV. It should be emphasized again that the State Party should urgently identify and monitor any actual and potential impacts of the project on the OUV of the property and inform management. The State Party’s proposal for an IUCN Advisory mission to provide recommendations on necessary mitigation measures is noted, but such measures can only be identified through a thorough assessment against baseline data, and an assessment of impacts on the values and attributes of the OUV. Considering that the assessment and monitoring of impacts should not be delayed, the State Party should complete this assessment, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, prior to sending an invitation for an Advisory mission. 

It is noted that the State Party has submitted draft modifications to the DSOCR indicators with the state of conservation report. These draft modifications will require careful assessment by IUCN and dialogue between the State Party, IUCN, the World Heritage Centre and the site manager, in order to ensure that they adequately reflect the required corrective measures in response to the concerns indicated by the Committee in its Decision 35 COM 7B.31 upon the property’s inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger, regarding illegal logging, illegal occupation, the reduced capacity of the State Party and the general deterioration of law and order and the security situation.