Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex

• Illegal activities (Poaching and illegal logging)
• Ground transport infrastructure (Road expansion, in particular regarding Highway 304)
• Forest fragmentation (connectivity and the need for ecological corridors)
• Land conversion (Encroachment)
• Management systems/management plan
• Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
• Water infrastructure (Dams)
• Livestock farming/grazing of domesticated animals (Cattle grazing) (issue resolved)

From 13 to 19 December 2016, an IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission visited the property, and on 30 January 2017, the State Party submitted a report on its state of conservation. Both reports are available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/590/documents. The State Party responds to the Committee’s decisions as follows:

• Continued commitment to strengthening international cooperation in order to address illegal logging and trade of Siamese Rosewood. Among other achievements:
  • On 21 June 2016, the Thai Cabinet approved a policy framework concerning cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia on addressing this issue along the international border,
  • In September 2016, the listing of Siamese Rosewood on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been upgraded by changing Annotation 5 to Annotation 4, which controls trade in all products of Siamese Rosewood,
  • The 3rd Regional Dialogue on Preventing Illegal Logging and Trade of Siamese Rosewood was held in Bangkok from 29 to 31 March 2017, and was attended by delegations from Cambodia, China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Viet Nam;
• Financial and material resources for the protection of Siamese Rosewood and wildlife have increased. The number of criminal cases related to illegal logging of Siamese Rosewood in the property is demonstrating a declining trend, following a peak in 2014;
• A detailed update is provided regarding the implementation of the Action Plan to Prevent and Suppress Illegal Logging and Trade of Siamese Rosewood in Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex 2014-2019 (hereafter “the Action Plan”), including the intensification of patrol efforts using Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) and the Network-Centric Anti-Poaching System (NCAPS);
• No poaching of other species of flora or fauna is reported;
• No new cases of resort development have been recorded in the property since December 2014, and 111 existing cases have been settled, representing 675 ha. 332 cases (representing 787.6 ha) remain in the judicial process, of which 246 are under investigation. So far, restoration of some 141 ha has been undertaken;
• Confirmation that constructions which may have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property will not be allowed. Should a decision be made to further pursue the proposed expansion of Highway 348 and the construction of the Huay Satone Dam, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN will be informed in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.

The 3rd Regional Dialogue held in March 2017, which saw the participation of a large number of international organizations, including IUCN, resulted in further commitments by the participating countries to implement the CITES Appendix II listing of Siamese Rosewood, including by developing a Regional Strategy and Action Plan, to ensure the survival of this species. It is recommended that the Committee commend the State Party for the leadership demonstrated in strengthening international cooperation to address illegal logging and trade of Siamese Rosewood, and that it encourage the State Party to continue its efforts in that regard, in particular to strengthen international cooperation on law enforcement and the prosecution of cases.

The December 2016 mission recognized the State Party’s efforts to address illegal logging in collaboration with international partners, and considered that the application of the NCAPS, which is based on camera traps sending alerts to rangers as soon as they are triggered, could make a step change in the effectiveness of actions. Nevertheless, the mission also noted that local media reports about legal actions and seizures of rosewood around the property both during and after the mission indicated that, while the number of criminal cases related to illegal logging is showing a decline, it continues to occur regularly. It is therefore recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the Action Plan, in close collaboration with international partners, and take into account the recommendations made by the mission in that regard.

It is also recommended that the Committee note with appreciation the State Party’s confirmation that no new cases of resort development have been recorded inside the property since December 2014, along with the progress reported with the ongoing investigations of cases of encroachment and with the restoration of encroached land. Nevertheless, the mission noted that existing encroachment continues to be a major challenge in parts of the property, and it is therefore recommended that the Committee request the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the recommendations made by the 2014 Reactive Monitoring mission regarding this issue and to report specifically on progress achieved.

The mission further noted the State Party’s commitment to avoid and mitigate impacts on the property’s OUV from the expansion of Highway 304, as requested by the Committee (Decision 39 COM 7B.17), and from the construction of the Huay Samong Dam, but raised concerns about the fact that the proposed expansion of Highway 348 and the proposed Huay Satone and Lam Prayathan dam projects, all within the property, are still being proposed by the Department of Highways and the Royal Irrigation Department, respectively. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to assess alternatives to the expansion of Highway 348 that avoid negative impacts on OUV, and to permanently cancel plans for any construction of dams with reservoirs inside the property’s boundaries. It is further recommended that the Committee request the State Party to also fully implement all the other recommendations of the 2016 mission.

Finally, the mission concluded that the overall state of conservation of the property remains good, as demonstrated by healthy and growing populations of a number of key wildlife species. Therefore, and provided that the State Party’s efforts to halt illegal logging of Siamese Rosewood continue, the property’s inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger is not recommended at this stage. However, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to submit a report on the state of conservation of the property by 1 February 2018, for examination by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, to confirm continued progress. If in three years’ time (at the 44th session of the Committee, following expiration of the Action Plan in 2019), the State Party cannot convincingly prove that the situation has improved, or if at any time there is evidence that the present situation regarding illegal logging of Siamese Rosewood deteriorates further or that other valuable species start to be targeted by logging or poaching, it is recommended that the Committee reconsider whether immediate inclusion of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger is warranted, in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines.