Plitvice Lakes National Park
Factors affecting the property in 1996*
- Illegal activities
- Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
- Other Threats:
Neglected Park infrastructure
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- War in the region (issue resolved);
- Destruction of the forests and park facilities;
- Poaching of bears;
- Dynamite fishing.
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1996
Total amount approved : 60,000 USD
1995 | N, Plitvice (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
1992 | Expert mission to Plitvice to assess the damage caused ... (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 1996**
February 1992: IUCN expert mission; September 1992: UNESCO/IUCN mission; September 1993: WHC/IUCN mission; May 1996: World Heritage Centre mission
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1996
Following an endorsement by the last session of the World Heritage Committee, the Secretariat has been discussing with the Croatian authorities the organization of a situation assessment workshop. It was suggested that, at this stage, such a workshop would focus on an analysis of requirements of actions and priorities necessary to remove the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger with a view to the preparation of project profiles as appropriate. The needs assessment would also encompass the collection of baseline data on the rehabilitation of the site after the armed conflict in the region. The workshop was scheduled for May 1996. The results of the workshop will be reported to the Bureau.
Action Required
The Bureau commended the Croatian authorities for their rehabilitation activities and awaiting further information on the site's state of conservation, recommended to the Committee its retention on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1996
The Bureau at its twentieth session took note of the results of a multinational rapid assessment mission organized by the Centre and the Croatian authorities from 5 to 9 May 1996. The mission made an interdisciplinary review of the state of conservation of the site and determined that the World Heritage values had not been adversely impacted by the armed conflict. To the contrary, the mission concluded the natural systems of the area were recovering from prewar overdevelopment and over-use. The mission surveyed the war damage to Park commercial and administrative facilities and the neglected Park infrastructure and favorably reviewed the newly strengthened legislative framework adopted by the State Party. Park management and administrative capability was evaluated and the socio-economic situation of the site was assessed with regard to postwar tourism potential. Summary recommendations were proposed and remedial actions are now being taken by the State Party. The Bureau took also note of the specific recommendations made concerning the List of World Heritage in Danger. Radio equipment provided from the World Heritage Emergency Fund is now installed and operational; an estimated 250,000 tourists visited the park so far this year.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1996
20 BUR IV.7
Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia)
Following an endorsement by the last session of the World Heritage Committee, a multinational rapid assessment mission was organized by the Centre and the Croatian authorities from 5 to 9 May 1996. The mission reviewed the state of conservation of the site, identified impact and damages caused by armed conflict to park facilities infrastructure, reviewed the legislative, administrative and management frameworks, assessed the socioeconomic situation of the site with regard to tourism potential and proposed summary recommendations. The full report of the mission was presented to the Bureau as Information Document WHC-96/CONF.202/INF.13. The Bureau took note of the report and the specific recommendation made concerning the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Bureau commended the Croatian authorities for their initial rehabilitation activities and recommended to the Committee to maintain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger because, although there was no longer threat of armed conflict to World Heritage values, there were potential and ascertained threats such as visitor impacts, water contamination and other conditions identified in the mission report.
20 COM VII.C.15
SOC: Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia)
VII.15 Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia)
The Committee took note of the results of a international rapid assessment mission organized by the Centre and the Croatian authorities from 5 to 9 May 1996. The mission made an interdisciplinary review of the state of conservation of the site and determined that the World Heritage values had not been adversely impacted by the armed conflict. To the contrary, the mission concluded the natural systems of the area were recovering from pre-war overdevelopment and over-use. The mission surveyed the war damage to Park commercial and administrative facilities and the neglected Park infrastructure and favourably reviewed the newly strengthened legislative framework adopted by the State Party. Par k management and administrative capability was evaluated and the socio-economic situation of the site was assessed with regard to post-war tourism potential. Summary recommendations were proposed and remedial actions are now being taken by the State Party. The Committee also took note of the specific recommendations made concerning the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Furthermore, the Centre informed the Committee that a report dated 26 November 1996 was received from Plitvice National Park on the situation of the Park. It indicated the use of the US$ 30,000 emergency assistance for communication equipment, which was installed in September 1996. The report mentioned the number of 239,500 visitors from 1 January to 20 November 1996 and the reconstruction of a sightseeing system. Boats, vehicles and the sanitary facilities have been operating. Promotional leaflets have been produced and journalists have been received. The reconstruction of the Plitvice Hotel will be completed by the end of the year. There are a number of problems to be solved, including public roads, reconstruction of homes of displaced persons, sewage system and new drinking water supply. The report indicated that a new Managing Director of the Park was appointed and the need for international assistance to support a system of fire precaution measures.
The Committee (a) commended the Croatian authorities for their initial rehabilitation activities; (b) took note of the full mission report contained in Information Document WHC-96/CONF.201/INF.14; (c) decided to maintain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger because, although there was no longer threat or damage to World Heritage values by armed conflict, there are now post-war potential threats such as visitor impacts, damaged infrastructure and other conditions identified in the mission report; (d) favourably considered possible management planning assistance and training requests to strengthen the management and staff capabilities, and (e) requested the State Party to provide a state of conservation report on the area by 15 September 1997.
The Committee may wish to adopt the following:
"The Committee (a) commends the Croatian authorities for their initial rehabilitation activities, (b) takes note of the full mission report contained in information document WHC/CONF.201/INF.14, (c) decides to maintain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger because, although there was no longer threat or damage to World Heritage values by armed conflict, there are now post-war potential threats such as visitor impacts, damaged infrastructure and other conditions identified in the mission report; (d) favorably considers possible management planning assistance and training requests to strengthen the management and staff capabilities, and (e) requests the State Party provide a state of conservation report on the area in 1997."
![](https://whc.unesco.org/uploads/thumbs/site_0098_0003-376-200-20151104163004.jpg)
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.