Iguazu National Park

• Water infrastructure (Proposed hydropower dams)
• Governance (lack of transboundary cooperation, uncoordinated development)
• Illegal activities (logging and hunting) (issue resolved)
• Management systems/management plan (problems associated with public use and lack of a public use plan)
• Invasive / alien species (issue resolved)
• Lack of sustainable financing (issue resolved)
• Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation

On 19 February 2020, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/303/documents/, providing the following information:

• The Iguazú National Park Management Plan was formally approved and adopted on 14 February 2018. An overview is provided of various operational projects foreseen to implement the Plan, including equipment and infrastructure maintenance, staff training, regularization of private land, and joint activities with public and private organizations. The Public Use and Environmental Education plans are still being finalized, however, some projects to strengthen tourism sustainability are already being implemented to cope with increased visitation, foreseen at 400,000 visitors in 2000 and reported at around 1.5 million in 2020. To strengthen conservation and sustainable use, the Management Plan includes research and species monitoring programmes (felines, other key vertebrates and invasive alien species (IAS)), traffic control projects, sustainable practices and buffer zone demarcation;
• The National Route 101 (RN 101) remains unpaved for about 30km within the property, and there are no current plans to pave this section. Various control measures such as wildlife crossings, surveillance radars, gates, signs and awareness campaigns are being implemented;
• In order to establish buffer zones, initial mapping and land use description have been undertaken for the area along the eastern borders of Iguazú National Park. However, further work will be required to officially establish a buffer zone for the property;
• The State Party has continued to undertake joint activities and share information with the neighbouring Iguaçú National Park in Brazil, particularly jaguar monitoring and conservation, patrolling and surveillance to combat illegal activities, such as poaching, illegal fishing and palm heart harvesting. No joint activities between the two States Parties were undertaken specifically to monitor potential impacts of the new Baixo Iguaçú dam, which is now in full operation. However, the State Party of Argentina has initiated a 12-year monitoring and research project on the river ecosystem, fish communities and water quality of the Iguazú River.

The formal approval and adoption of the new Management Plan for the property, and initiation of the implementation of related management activities, are welcomed.

The increase in visitor numbers over the last 20 years, and the implementation of projects to upgrade facilities and strengthen sustainable tourism, are noted. Growing visitor numbers may put increased pressure on the property, especially at peak times, and potentially negatively impact its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the State Party to continue its efforts to monitor visitor flows and carrying capacity, as foreseen in the Management Plan, and further strengthen measures required to regulate the number of visitors.

The confirmation that there are no further plans to pave or modify the RN 101 within the property is welcomed, as are the initiatives taken to decrease negative road-related impacts such as wildlife road kills. It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to develop a long term management plan for the RN 101 in collaboration with the National Routes Authority and other national authorities to ensure that the road remains unpaved, to minimize the disturbance and negative effects on the property’s OUV, as well as to confirm that there are no existing plans for extension or further paving of the road outside the property.

The continued efforts to define the buffer zone for the Iguazú National Park are noted. It is recommended that the World Heritage Committee reiterates its request to the State Party to complete the identification and demarcation of the buffer zone and to develop and submit a Minor Boundary Modification proposal, as per Paragraphs 163 and 164 of the Operational Guidelines, in order to officially establish a buffer zone for the World Heritage property.

The continued cooperation with the State Party of Brazil on information sharing, joint monitoring and surveillance activities are noted. However, it is regrettable that no specific cooperation was established to develop and implement a comprehensive monitoring, assessment and action plan to identify and address potential negative impacts from the Baixo Iguaçu hydropower plant on the OUV of the two neighbouring properties. Noting that the State Party of Argentina has initiated a long-term monitoring and research project on the Iguazú River ecosystem and water quality, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the States Parties to collaborate on the development of a comprehensive overall monitoring system both for aquatic fauna and water flow. This monitoring would provide oversight and ensure compliance with the requirements and action plans prescribed for the hydropower project, thus assessing their effectiveness in mitigating adverse impacts on the OUV of the two properties.