Decision 43 COM 7B.11

Parc national de Chitwan (Népal) (N 284)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.31, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Welcomes the ongoing collaborative efforts of Chitwan National Park, the Nepali Army, local communities and other partners to combat rhinoceros poaching and urges the State Party to uphold these anti-poaching efforts;
4. Also welcomes the decision by the State Party to shift the alignment of the East-West Electrified Railroad so that it does not cross the property and to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for this alternative route, and requests the State Party to ensure that all potential impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property are fully assessed by the EIA, in line with the IUCN Advice Note on Environmental Assessment;
5. Notes the confirmation that tarmacking of the Thori-Madi-Bharatpur road will only concern the section passing through the buffer zone of the property and not the property itself, but recalls that the 2016 IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission also provided specific recommendations regarding the use of the road following its upgrading outside the property, including ensuring that the road will not be used for transportation of commercial goods to destinations beyond Thori, and also requests the State Party to implement them;
6. Also notes the decision to undertake an EIA for the proposed Thori-Birgunj road, including an assessment of potential impacts on the OUV of the property;
7. Reiterates its concern that other infrastructure projects continue to pose a threat to the property, including the proposed Terai Hulaki Highway, the China-India Trade Links of State 3 and State 4, the Madi-Balmiki Ashram road and the Malekhu-Thori road, and reiterates its request to the State Party to make an unequivocal commitment not to allow the development of the Terai Hulaki Highway to proceed along its proposed alignment through the property, and not to approve any other new roads or the reopening/upgrading of old roads passing through the property;
8. Reiterates its position that, if any of the aforementioned road and railway developments were to proceed through the property, they would represent a potential danger to the OUV of the property, in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, and thus form a clear basis for inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
9. Further requests the State Party to submit information on any proposed projects to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and to ensure that the construction of infrastructure will not be permitted if it could negatively impact on the OUV of the property;
10. Taking note of the information that Gajendra Dham is reportedly no longer located within the boundaries of Chitwan National Park, following a revision of boundaries in 2016 and its demarcation on the ground, also urges the State Party to provide further clarification on any change to the boundaries in order to assess whether a boundary modification is required, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
11. Noting the confirmation that provisions for visitor management at Gajendra Dham were included in the updated Management Plan for Chitwan National Park, and also recalling the recommendations of the 2016 IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission in that regard, requests furthermore the State Party to provide detailed information on how these management provisions address the mission’s recommendations;
12. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 45th session in 2021.