Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve
Factors affecting the property in 1996*
- Ground transport infrastructure
- Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
- Illegal activities
- Land conversion
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Extreme pressure with the invasion of refugees and settlers into the Reserve;
- Illegal tree felling;
- Poaching;
- Road construction
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1996
Total amount approved : 198,000 USD
| 1996 | Conservation strategy and preparation of a management ... (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
| 1988 | Equipment for Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
| 1987 | Consultant services, training and equipment for ... (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
| 1985 | Strengthen protection and management of Rio Platano ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
| 1983 | Implementation of protective measures, of training ... (Approved) | 26,000 USD |
| 1982 | Financial contribution towards ecodevelopment ... (Approved) | 67,025 USD |
| 1982 | Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Approved) | 4,975 USD |
Missions to the property until 1996**
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1996
At its nineteenth session, the Committee took note of a monitoring report prepared by IUCN. This report noted the threats to the site, including agricultural intrusion and the implementation of land reform programmes. IUCN informed the Centre that the Minister for the Environment is in agreement with the findings. A number of follow-up actions, including the inscription of the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger, was recommended. Further to the decision of the Committee, the Centre requested the Honduran authorities to inform the Committee about the actions taken to protect the site. The Centre received a state of conservation report dated 30 April 1996 from the Honduran Minister for the Environment, which indicated the actions taken by the Government and various NGOs, as well as two projects submitted for technical assistance.
Action Required
The Bureau may wish to examine the report that will be provided by IUCN and consider if it wishes to recommend the Committee to inscribe this property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1996
At its nineteenth session, the Committee took note of a monitoring report prepared by IUCN. This report noted the threats to the site, including agricultural intrusion and the implementation of land reform programmes. A number of follow-up actions, including the inscription of the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger, were recommended. Further to the decision of the Committee, the Centre requested the Honduran authorities to inform the Committee about the actions taken to protect the site. The Centre received a state of conservation report dated 30 April 1996 from the Honduran Minister for the Environment, which indicated the actions taken by the Government and various NGOs, as well as two projects submitted for technical assistance.
On the basis of additional information provided by IUCN's regional office, the Bureau at its twentieth session recommended the Committee to inscribe this property on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Bureau furthermore recalled that IUCN's report provides eleven points of corrective actions and that the Minister of Environment has endorsed this report, including the recommendation that the site be inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 1996
The Bureau may wish to transmit the state of conservation report to the Committee and recommend the Committee to adopt the following:
"The Committee decides to inscribe the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve on the List of World Heritage in Danger and encourages the State Party to continue to implement the eleven points of corrective actions recommended by IUCN. The Committee requests the authorities of Honduras to keep it informed on a regular basis of actions taken to safeguard this property."
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1996
20 BUR IV.7
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Bureau recalled the detailed monitoring report prepared by an IUCN mission to the site in November 1995. This report noted the threats to the site, including agricultural intrusion and the implementation of land reform programmes. IUCN informed the Bureau that the Minister of Environment is in agreement with the findings. A number of follow-up actions, including the inscription of the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger, was recommended. The Centre received a brief state of conservation report dated 30 April 1996 from the Honduran Minister of Environment, which indicated the actions taken by the Government and various NGOs, as well as projects submitted for technical assistance.
On the basis of the report provided by IUCN's regional office, the Bureau recommended the Committee to inscribe this property on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Bureau recalled that the report provides eleven points of corrective actions and that the Minister of Environment has endorsed this report, including the recommendation that the site be inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Government of Honduras has submitted a technical assistance request and the Bureau recalled that priority should be given to international assistance requests for sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
20 BUR IX.A
Requests for International Assistance: Technical Cooperation - Natural Heritage
Requests approved by the Bureau
Conservation Strategy and Preparation of a Management Plan for the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
In the light of the state of conservation report presented on this site, the Bureau approved an amount of US$ 30,000 for the
elaboration of a management plan for the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras) subject to the submission of a detailed budget outline for this request.
Requests not approved by the Bureau
Architectural Design of the Interpretation Centre at the Galapagos National Park (Ecuador) (US$ 25,900)
The Bureau recalled the recent mission to the Galapagos Islands and recommended that the Galapagos National Park authorities submit a request to the next Bureau session in line with the orientations identified by the fact-finding mission to the Galapagos Islands led by the Chairperson.
Technical Assistance for Virunga National Park (Zaire) (US$100,000)
The Bureau did not recommend this request to be approved by the Committee in the light of the findings of the recent mission to this site, which is on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Bureau encouraged the State Party to submit a revised request in particular for a safeguarding plan for Virunga National Park as recommended by the expert mission.
20 COM VII.D.33
SOC: Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
VII.33 Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
The Committee recalled that at its nineteenth session it took note of a monitoring report prepared by IUCN. This report noted the threats to the site, including agricultural intrusion and the implementation of land reform programmes. A number of follow-up actions, including the inscription of the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger, were recommended. Following the Committee session, the Centre requested the Honduran authorities to inform the Committee about the actions taken to protect the site. The Centre received a state of conservation report dated 30 April 1996 from the Honduran Minister for the Environment which indicated the actions taken by the Government and various NGOs, as well as a project submitted for technical assistance, which was approved by the Bureau at its twentieth session. On the basis of additional information provided by IUCN's regional office, the Bureau at its twentieth session recommended the Committee to inscribe this property on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Bureau furthermore recalled that IUCN's report provided eleven points of corrective actions and that the Minister of Environment had endorsed this report, including the recommendation that the site be inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Having taken note of this information, the Committee decided to inscribe the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve on the List of World Heritage in Danger and encouraged the State Party to implement the eleven points of corrective actions recommended in the IUCN conservation status report. The Committee requested the authorities of Honduras to keep it informed on a regular basis of actions taken to safeguard this property.
20 COM VIII.A.4
Properties Inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
VII.4 The Committee at its twentieth session examined the state of conservation reports contained in Working Document WHC-96/CONF.201/7B, and additional information provided in Information Document WHC-96/CONF.201/INF.23 and decided to include the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
Simen National Park (Ethiopia)
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras)
Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
Garamba National Park (Zaire)
Honduras
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.
