Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple

• Changes in traditional ways of life and knowledge system
• Impacts of tourism / visitors / recreation
• Ritual / spiritual / religious and associative uses
• Continued deterioration of the paintings
• Impact of water ingress, insect activity and other natural forces
• Management systems / management plan
• Newly (in 1999) constructed temple, alien to the World Heritage complex  (issue resolved)
• General deterioration of the Golden Temple
• Lack of tourism strategy and interpretation

On 20 December 2017, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/561/documents, and notes progress with responses to Decision 40 COM 7B.46 and on the implementation of the recommendations of the March 2015 mission, as follows:

• The relationship between the Temple Authorities (who own the property) and State Party agencies - Department of Archaeology (DoA) and Central Cultural Fund (CCF) - has improved significantly since 2016, and there is now effective collaboration. A new ‘Site Management Committee’ will be established and the Management Plan will be revised. The need for a new Tourism Management Strategy is recognized by all parties. DoA and CCF are in the process of evaluating the condition of the property using previous records. There is a commitment to collaborate with local universities to achieve ‘best-practice’ outcomes, as well as the will to implement inclusive approach and with clearer lines of responsibility in terms of governance by associating various stakeholders ;
• A Conservation Strategy for wall paintings conservation was prepared with an international expert familiar with the property who undertook site inspections in October 2016 and April 2017. The advice received has been incorporated into a ‘Statement of Conservation Strategy’, which will form part of a revised Management Plan for the property. This Statement mentions, inter alia, two important projects for the documentation, the 3-D laser scanning mapping project to be implemented in 2018 and the manual graphic documentation project foreseen from 2018 to 2020. A 10 to 12-year programme of research into original painting materials and techniques has been instigated, remedial treatment for paintings and polychrome structures has been proposed, and the State Party hopes to collaborate with an international conservation organization;
• Various research projects have been undertaken on the conservation issues, notably a study by the Isotope Hydrology Section of the Atomic Energy Authority revealed the sources of water seeping into the cave shrines and the comprehensive measures to be taken to address the issue will be integrated into the revised Management Plan. A research laboratory is expected to be set and running within 2018;
• The State Party also reports on intentions to support re-vitalization of traditional materials and practices in wall painting, to seek international assistance in the development of a pilgrim/visitor management strategy, to re-design the internal lighting strategy, and to replace current terracotta floor tiles. Other proposed conservation initiatives include analysis of hydro-geological issues and water percolation, an experimental ‘automated environmental monitoring system’ (to measure visitor-induced environmental change), and research studies of wall structures and micro-organic and insect impacts (especially potter wasps);
• It is not intended to ban interior flash photography, as requested by the Committee, owing to absence of compelling scientific evidence; nonetheless, a survey will be undertaken to assess the potential impact of flash photography on visitors.

The improved relationship between the State Party agencies and the Temple Authorities, as well as a more structured management mechanism represent a positive shift in the management arrangements for the property. The proposed site management committee responds to the Committee’s previous priority request. It is now urgent that this committee become operational and prove itself efficient so that it may contribute to the much-needed improvement in site management, by meeting on a regular basis to determine matters related to the conservation and management of the property.

The Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property remains threatened by natural forces including water ingress, insect activity and decay, as well as the impact of very substantial visitation by pilgrims and tourists. While progress with strategic planning for wall painting conservation and the involvement of an international expert is welcome, as are programs for research and analysis of the causes and responses to physical threats, the 2010 Management Plan remains to be updated and nor fully implemented, despite the findings of the 2015 mission and previous Committee decisions. It has now become even more critical that the Management Plan be revised, based on the newly-proposed management arrangements and technical findings, the clear definition of the interface between the State and Temple authorities, and the setting of short-, mid- and long-term strategies for both conservation and pilgrim/visitor management, as well as budget planning (as requested by Decision 40 COM 7B.46). The draft of this revised Management Plan, including the recently-prepared ‘Conservation Strategy Statement’ should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

The continuing absence of a tourism management strategy means that mechanisms are not yet in place to manage one of the major threats to the OUV of the property, and the lack of control over the number of pilgrims/visitors entering the caves, or other regulatory measures, continues to adversely affect both the condition of the caves and wall paintings and the quality of the visitors’ experience.

All of these matters have been raised over several years with the State Party through previous Committee Decisions and through the findings and recommendations of the 2015 mission. However, in view of the changes that have occurred in the personnel and approach of the Temple Authorities and the intentions expressed by the State Party, it would be appropriate to allow a further opportunity for critical matters to be addressed before the Committee considers whether the threats to the integrity and authenticity of the property amount to ascertained or potential danger to its OUV.

The State Party and its agencies are proposing numerous research and investigation studies, as well as remedial works to the caves and wall paintings, and initiatives to address water ingress, insect damage and decay. In view of the potential effects of the works on the attributes of the property that contribute to its OUV, it would be appropriate for comprehensive information to be provided to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.