Great Barrier Reef National Park (Australia)
The Committee was informed that the Minister of Environment, Australia, has temporarily halted a 1500-bed, resort development project immediately adjacent to the boundary of this site to allow for a study of potential impacts on the World Heritage site. The Committee requested the Centre to write to the Minister of Environment, Australia, expressing support for his efforts to protect this site from the impacts of the proposed large scale tourism development project.
Sites: Great Barrier Reef
Shark Bay (Australia)
The Committee recalled that at the time of inscription of this site it requested IUCN to report back on the progress with respect to (1) implementation of the Commonwealth/State management agreement and (2) efforts to achieve more effective conservation of the site.
As the Government of Australia had assured that the October 1990 agreement was to provide the management framework for this site, the Committee was concerned that most of the provisions of the agreement have not been operationalised. Therefore, the Centre wrote to the Australian authorities requesting ...
Sites: Shark Bay, Western Australia
Mount Athos (Greece)
A report prepared by WWF and Ecumenical Patriachate of Constantinople (EPC) has pointed out that the ecology of this site is being impacted by overgrazing, chemical pollution and forestry activities. In early December the World Heritage Centre received a letter from the Greek authorities outlining the measures which are being implemented to address these concerns. The Committee requested that a field review together with the appropriate Greek authorities be carried out to evaluate these conflicting reports.
Sites: Mount Athos
Willandra Lakes Region (Australia)
The Committee was informed of IUCN's field evaluation report on the state of conservation of this property. It requested the Australian authorities to review the boundaries of the site and to continue their recent progress in improving the management of the site.
Sites: Willandra Lakes Region
Keoladeo National Park (India)
The Committee recalled that this site was inscribed on the World Heritage List because of its importance as a wintering ground for the Siberian crane. At the time of inscription in 1985, there were 41 cranes which wintered in Keoladeo National Park. The Committee was informed that in 1994, no Siberian cranes wintered in Keolodeo; it was thought that due to hunting along their migratory routes in Afghanistan and Pakistan the population which used Keoladeo for wintering appears to have been extirpated. The Committee therefore requested that the Centre write ...
Sites: Keoladeo National Park
Banc d'Arguin National Park (Mauritania)
The Committee recalled that IUCN reported to the Bureau at its eighteenth session on a planned capture operation of six monk seals from the sea population of the park. Subsequently, the Centre was informed by the French Ministry for the Environment that the experiment was carefully planned and coordinated with IUCN's Species survival Commission and that the capture operation and breeding experiment is under the direction of the "Comité scientifique international pour le suivi du programme français de sauvegarde du phoque moine".
The ...
Sites: Banc d'Arguin National Park
Te Wahipounamu (New Zealand)
In July 1994 the Bureau was advised of threats to the integrity of this site arising from cattle grazing in some parts of the Park and the impact of potential logging operations in Maori-owned coastal forests immediately adjacent to the Park. As requested by the Bureau, the New Zealand authorities have submitted a report outlining measures being implemented for mitigating these threats. IUCN has expressed satisfaction with these measures and no further action is required at the present time.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) (Tanzania)
The Committee recalled that at its last session it expressed serious concerns over the Tanzanian Government's new policy to open NCA to agriculture. The Committee was informed that, though Cultivation is continuing to spread, there appears to be some control preventing its random expansion. Nevertheless, the Committee remained concerned that the expansion of agriculture is taking away traditional pastoral lands of Masai who, as a last resort to ensure their own food security, are being forced to clear lands for subsistence agriculture. The ...
Sites: Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)
The Committee noted that the state of conservation of this site has not been assessed since its inscription in 1981 and was pleased to note several improvements to the site effected by the Tanzanian National Park Authority (TANAPA); e.g. a management plan has been prepared and is now under implementation; work on a new and creative visitor-education centre is nearing completion; roads and other infrastructure have been upgraded; and long-term wildlife census, research and monitoring projects continue to operate. However, the Committee recognized that ...
Sites: Serengeti National Park
Redwood National Park (United States of America)
The Committee was informed of a proposal of the California Department of Transportation (COT) regarding a road realignment of the US Highway 101 in Del Norte County which will result in the removal of about 200 trees in this World Heritage site. Although COT has prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS), the Committee was informed that the EIS made no mention of the World Heritage status of the area. The Committee therefore requested the Centre to write to the American authorities and suggest that the COT recognize the international ...
Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe)
The World Heritage Centre was informed by letter of 5 August 1994 from the National Heritage Conservation commission of Zambia that the proposal to build the Batoka Dam was dropped. The Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme would have had a major environmental impact on the World Heritage site and would have flooded the Batoka Gorge of the Zambezi River, a two million year old unique geological and geomorphological formation.
The Committee commended the Government of Zambia on the decisions taken to ensure the integrity of this World ...
Mana Pools, Sapi and Chewore Reserves (Zimbabwe)
The Committee regretted that with the relocation of the ten remaining rhinos from this Park to an intensive protection zone, this World Heritage site has lost one of its "flagship" species. The Committee urged the Centre that in order to protect populations of similar species in other World Heritage sites, it should expand its cooperation with IUCN's Species survival Commission and the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade on Endangered species (CITES).
Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (Peru)
The Committee was informed on proposed helicopter flights from Cusco to the village of Aguas Calientes, which is only two kilometers from the ruins of Machu Picchu, authorization of which would be subject to the approval of an environmental impact study by the National Institute for Natural Resources (INRENA). IUCN informed that it was finalizing the examination of the impact study and that it will transmit its recommendations to the Secretariat as soon as these are available.
The Committee requested that the Bureau at its forthcoming nineteenth ...
Palace of Abomey (Benin)
The Committee commended the Government of Benin and ICCROM for the activities undertaken since 1992 in training in preventive conservation and for the project for the conservation and enhancement of the Royal Palaces of Abomey which is foreseen for 1994-1996 in collaboration with ICCROM and the Government of Italy. The Committee decided to retain this site on the List of World Heritage in Danger and requested the Secretariat to ensure that a monitoring mission be undertaken to Abomey to evaluate the state of conservation of the eleven palaces that have not yet ...
Sites: Royal Palaces of Abomey
Angkor (Cambodia)
The Committee noted that at its eighteenth session, the Bureau expressed satisfaction with the progress accomplished by the Royal Cambodian Government in response to the requests formulated by the Committee at its sixteenth session, when Angkor was inscribed on the World Heritage List and List of World Heritage in Danger.
At the invitation of UNESCO and at the request of the Chairperson of the Committee, the Minister of State of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Mr Vann Molyvann, made a presentation to Committee members, highlighting the main tasks undertaken by the Royal ...
Sites: Angkor
Dubrovnik (Croatia)
The Committee was informed that the restoration of what is called the fifth facade of the city -the roofs- was almost completed and that there remained but a few insulae awaiting repairs, and that important progress had been made in the restoration of several of the most important monuments of the city.
The Committee commended the Government of Croatia and UNESCO on the progress made in the conservation and restoration of Dubrovnik. It noted, however, that after the priority needs had been taken care of, other works such as the restoration of nine destroyed palaces ...
Sites: Old City of Dubrovnik
Timbuktu (Mali)
The Committee was informed that the Government of Mali had fully endorsed the recommendations of a UNESCO mission that was undertaken in early 1994 and which recommended a method of intervention involving the local population which, since the construction of the mosques, had been responsible for their upkeep, thus perpetuating a living religious cultural tradition. The Committee also endorsed this proposal and decided that it would support its implementation, if and when requested by the State Party. The Committee decided to retain the site on the List of World Heritage ...
Sites: Timbuktu
Bahla Fort (Oman)
The Committee recalled that it was informed during its seventeenth session, that intensive restoration works were being undertaken at this site and that it appeared probable that the nature of the material used for the restoration work, the rapidity with which the work was being carried out and the methods used could raise a certain number of questions with regard to conserving the authenticity of the monument. The Committee was informed that the Director of the World Heritage Centre, at the invitation of the Government of Oman, undertook a mission to Oman in March 1994 ...
Sites: Bahla Fort
Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (Peru)
The Committee welcomed the initiative of the Government of Peru to organise in October 1995, in collaboration with ICCROM and CRATerre, a regional course on the conservation of adobe, parallel to which the participants and international experts would also evaluate the past conservation practices and experiences in Chan Chan and define new conservation policies for this site. The Committee requested the authorities to submit the results of the course and the assessment of the conservation policies and practices to the Secretariat so that ...
Wieliczka Salt Mine (Poland)
The Committee took note of the long-term conservation strategy that had been developed for this site, which included a project for ventilation and dehumidification. The Committee encouraged the Polish authorities to implement this long-term conservation strategy and requested to be kept informed of its implementation. It decided that this site be retained on the List of World Heritage in Danger.