Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha

• Management Systems/Management Plan
• Management activities
• Legal framework
• Ritual / spiritual / religious and associative uses
• Commercial Development (Impact of the new structure of the Maya Devi Temple constructed in 2002 on the archaeological remains and the main sight lines of the property)
• Interpretative and visitation facilities
• Air pollution
• Housing
• Industrial areas

Total amount provided: USD 7,200 from the UNESCO/Italy Funds-in-Trust in 2006; 49,376 EUR and USD 90,000 from the Oriental Cultural Heritage Sites Protection Alliance from 2008 to 2019; USD 2,319,220 from the UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust for 2009–2021

On 1 February 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/666/documents/ and responds to the Committee’s requests as follows:

• The Integrated Management Framework (IMF) document has been finalized, but has not yet received final approval from the Government;
• Some development activities, such as a security post within the property and an electronic toilet within the buffer zone, have been installed reversibly on the surface. Small-scale development activities are also being undertaken, as recommended by the Lumbini Development Master Plan;
• An archaeologist has been appointed as Archaeological Advisor to prepare Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) and to protect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, as well as all the archaeological sites of the Greater Lumbini Area (GLA);
• The project proposal for the development of the Lumbini World Peace City has been approved in principle by the Government of Nepal; however, no steps have yet been taken towards its implementation;
• The strategy for the protection of the GLA and its wider setting, including but not limited to Tilaurakot and Ramagrama, is still being developed. As part of a UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) project (2014-2021), a number of activities have been organised, such as a geophysical survey; non-destructive excavations; mapping and recording of archaeological remains at some heritage sites; and conservation activities for the GLA and its wider setting;
• A brainstorming programme has been established among the experts and the International Buddhist Conference was organized in 2018 to develop a clear strategy and concrete further actions for the protection of the GLA.

In May, September and November 2018, the World Heritage Centre requested the State Party to verify the source and the contents of information received and to provide comments regarding on third-party information concerning, respectively: 1) the ongoing construction of a temporary Meeting Hall in Lumbini, 2) the proposed construction of a the Shree Ram Cement Plant Ind. Pvt. Ltd located in the vicinity of Lumbini site and 3) the construction of a 5,000-person capacity Buddhist Meditation Hall located within the Lumbini Kenzo Tange Master Plan Area, in the vicinity of the Sacred Garden of Lumbini site. At the time of preparing this document, the World Heritage Centre has not received any relevant information and/or comments on these issues.

It is regrettable that the IMF is yet to be approved by the State Party, despite previous assurances and repeated requests by the Committee. While the State Party reports that certain activities have been carried out within the property and the buffer zone, there is no evidence of any HIA, or that the activities carried out have taken the Archaeological Risk Map of the property into consideration.

The ongoing research to better understand the property, its related sites and larger setting is welcome. However, the project proposal for the Lumbini World Peace City has been approved, even though the State Party did not provide details on the proposed project, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, nor carry out any HIA. Given the scope of this very large new development project, the fragile nature of the property and its use as a place of pilgrimage for over 2,000 years, there are concerns that the Lumbini World Peace City project is likely to have adverse impacts on the OUV of the property. The Committee may wish to reiterate its request that the State Party carry out the necessary HIAs as a matter of urgency, in conformity with the 2011 ICOMOS Guidelines on HIAs for World Heritage Cultural Properties. These HIAs should be provided to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before any further activity related to this project occurs.

The UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust Project for the preservation of the property (2014-2021) has made comprehensive progress in the GLA in archaeological research on Buddhism and early settlements, conservation and capacity building as well as heritage awareness-raising activities. However, the state of conservation of the property has not improved and it is therefore recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to ensure sustainable heritage preservation in Lumbini, while stressing the need to pursue community engagement.

Additionally, the World Heritage Centre continues to receive third-party information expressing concerns about the worsening environmental quality and increasing industrial development at or around the property, as well as projects, both proposed or in progress, which may affect the OUV of the property. The State Party has not provided the information requested with respect to particular projects. In light of the potential impacts of development and environmental degradation, the Committee should reiterate its request to the State Party to develop a clear strategy, encompassing specific actions for the protection of the GLA and its setting, including but not limited to Tilaurakot and Ramagrama, and to reduce further the industrial activity in the vicinity of the property. The State Party should also conduct HIAs for the proposed projects and submit information to the World Heritage Centre, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines. It is recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to halt immediately any construction work within the property until the potential impacts of all projects are fully assessed and suitable measures to avoid deterioration of the OUV of the property are in place.

In view of the current situation, and given that no monitoring mission was dispatched to the property for the last 15 years, a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission is needed to assess the overall state of conservation of the property, review the IMF, all ongoing studies and development proposals and assist with the appropriate solutions for the Lumbini World Peace City project to identify approaches and solutions that are consistent with the OUV of the property.