Distribution Limited WHC-98…

Distribution Limited                                          WHC-98/CONF.203/INF.8
                                                                Paris, 26 October 1998
                                                                     Original : English




                       UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL
                  SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION


            CONVENTION CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE
               WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE



                         WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE
                              Twenty-second session
                                  Kyoto, Japan
                          30 November ­ 5 December 1998




Information Document: Report of the Regional Thematic Meeting on Cultural
Landscapes in the Andes, Arequipa/Chivay, Peru, 17 ­ 22 May 1998




                                     SUMMARY

At its twentieth session in December 1996 the World Heritage Committee approved an
amount of US$ 30,000 for the organization of a Regional Thematic Meeting on Cultural
Landscapes in the Andes.

This document provides the report of the Expert Meeting. The Agenda of the meeting and
the List of Participants are provided in ANNEX I and ANNEX II. The full publication (in
Spanish) of the meeting including all presentations is currently under preparation.
                                                                                              2

    Report of the Regional Thematic Meeting on Cultural Landscapes in the Andes

                       Arequipa/Chivay (Peru), 17 to 22 May 1998



Introduction

The thematic expert meeting on "Cultural Landscapes in the Andes" was organized by the
UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Office in Lima with financial support
from the World Heritage Fund and the Fundacion Augusto Wiese. The meeting was co-
ordinated by Mr. Elias Mujica. Twenty experts from Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
and Venezuela, and representatives from ICOMOS, IUCN and UNESCO participated in the
meeting (see programme and list of participants in ANNEXES I and II).

Elias Mujica (Peru), in welcoming the participants, gave explanations on the choice of the
extraordinary venue in which the meeting was held: the Colca Valley. The Colca Valley
displays an impressive geological formation, in particular at the Colca Canyon, with an
average elevation of 3,400 m, one of the deepest canyons on earth. The venue also displays
an extraordinary diversity of terracing, one of the main types of agricultural landscapes of the
Andean region, which also illustrates the immense hydraulic and architectural skills of the
local people. Mr. Mujica also introduced the main objectives of the meeting:
(a)     to contribute to a more representative World Heritage List with the identification of
        potential cultural landscapes from the Andean region in the framework of the overall
        Global Strategy for a balanced and representative World Heritage List;
(b)     to create awareness among the national institutes for cultural and/or natural heritage
        and the scientific community in the region about the World Heritage Convention and
        the cultural landscape categories;
(c)     to strengthen links and collaboration between experts and representatives from the
        region as well as with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

General Aspects

Herman van Hooff (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) welcomed the participants on behalf
of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and thanked the host country, the UNESCO Office
Lima and Mr. Mujica for their immense support in the preparation of the meeting. He
underlined that the World Heritage Convention is one of the most international legal
instruments in heritage conservation. He drew the attention of the participants to the situation
in Latin America, where quite a number of historic cities and archaeological sites have been
inscribed on the World Heritage List, however other types of properties are currently
underrepresented on the current World Heritage List. He emphasised the concept of
universality and of outstanding universal value of the World Heritage List and explained the
criteria for the inclusion of natural, cultural and mixed sites.

Mechtild Rössler (UNESCO World Heritage Centre) explained the results of previous
thematic expert meetings, the three categories for cultural landscapes and the review of their
application in different regional contexts in her paper "Cultural Landscapes and the World
Heritage Convention". She recalled that the first expert meeting on World Heritage cultural
                                                                                                   3
landscapes held in La Petit Pierre (France) in 1992 drafted the categories for cultural
landscapes of outstanding universal value. These categories were adopted by the sixteenth
session of the World Heritage Committee in 1992 and included in the Operational
Guidelines.
       "Cultural landscapes represent the "combined works of nature and of man" designated in
       Article 1 of the Convention. They are illustrative of the evolution of human society and
       settlement over time, under the influence of the physical constraints and/or opportunities
       presented by their natural environment and of successive social, economic and cultural forces,
       both external and internal... The term "cultural landscape" embraces a diversity of
       manifestations of the interaction between humankind and its natural environment"
       (Paragraphs 36 to 37 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World
       Heritage Convention).
The recommendations of the cultural landscapes Action Plan1 for a regional and thematic
approach to the inclusion of cultural landscapes on the World Heritage List, made by an
expert meeting in 1993 (Schorfheide/Templin, Germany), were adopted by the seventeenth
session of the World Heritage Committee in December 1993. A regional and thematic
approach for cultural landscapes was implemented with a series of expert meetings on canals,
routes, associative values and other themes. Ms. Rössler concluded that the cultural landscape
concept was innovative in bringing together nature and culture in the interpretation of the
World Heritage Convention. A further step towards this goal was taken through the "Global
Strategy Natural and Cultural Heritage Expert Meeting" (Amsterdam, The Netherlands 24 to
28 March 1998).

Miguel Holle (Peru) explained the immense natural diversity and human creativity of the
Andean region. The Andes are unique as the mountain range runs from north to south,
parallel to the Ocean. This characteristic provides a variety of east-west and north south
developments, which contribute to its diversity both in environmental (geology,
geomorphology, climate, vegetation etc.) and cultural terms (language groups, human
adaptation to the land, creativity).

Elias Mujica (Peru) outlined different types of productive landscapes in the Andean
mountain range. The management of water and land can be illustrated at the Cumbemayo and
Moche Canals, the puquios of Nasca and the cochas of Liallahua. The great diversity of flora
and fauna allowed the people to domesticate a huge variety of plants (potato, oca, mashua,
olluco, racacha, achira, yacon, quinua, tarwi, anihua and kiwicha) and animals (mainly
camelids such as llama and alpaca from their wild ancestors, the vicuna and guanacos) in the
higher altitudes above 4,200 metres. Characteristic for the Andes is the terracing of the
limited irrigable and flat lands in the steep valleys. The oldest terraces from 900 BC have
been found around Lake Titicaca. With the large scale terracing, the cultivation of corn and
coca leaves was expanded and concentrated, which also enhanced the biological diversity.




1
  The Action Plan and the reports of the expert meetings from 1992 to 1995 can be found in
the book "Cultural Landscapes of Universal Value. Components of a Global Strategy" (edited
by B. von Droste, H. Plachter and M. Rössler, Jena, Fischer Verlag 1995).
                                                                                               4
2.     Case studies from the Andean Region

Maximina Monasterio (Venezuela) explained the case of the paramos of Merida with the
most diverse gradients of climate and light, which contributed to diversity of plant species.
Illustrated by slides of a section of the Cordillera Oriental she outlined the environment
ranging from the tropico frio to the terraced cultivation of potatoes in different cultivation
cycles (up to 20 years). The development of cultural landscapes is very closely associated to
the natural processes (frost dependencies) and cultural evolution of the communities, such as
the routa del trigo.

Maria Eugenia Bacci (Venezuela) provided an example of cacao production with the case of
a hacienda constructed in the 17th century. The centre of activity, the cacao, is reproduced in
the architectural plans of the hacienda with the dying and fermenting of the cacao on the
central square. The case illustrates the close association of natural and cultural values
together with the intangible heritage of rituals and music of the workers and local
communities, descendants of African slaves.

Maria Victoria Uribe (Colombia) presented the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an exceptional
cultural landscape and sacred place of the Kogi indians, who are now living around the pre-
Columbian structures of the Ciudad Perdida. Of outstanding significance is their interaction
with nature, illustrated by their management of water and knowledge of medicinal plants. The
site is now protected as an archaeological park and recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve.

Luis Suarez (Ecuador) provided a preliminary exploration of the cultural landscapes of
Ecuador. In a number of examples from different parts of Ecuador he illustrated cultural
landscapes in their function to protect biodiversity, in particular in the Andes as the centre of
the world's crops. He stressed that the notion of ecology was developed in this region by
Alexander von Humboldt.

Jorge Recharte (Mountain Institute, Peru) presented the Cordilleras of Peru in an historical-
geographical perspective. He underlined that communal land is typical for the Andes, which
leads to the development of specific cultures, including local culinary specialities (production
of cheeses, sopa de pierra etc.), and clothes, rituals and festivities. Only the combination of
the natural factors and human influence makes it the typical cultural landscape characteristic
for the region.

Jose Canziani (Peru) displayed the lomas of Antiquipa, an extraordinary relict culture of
2070 ha in small terraces. This prehispanic coastal community was dependent on maritime
resources with the natural system of cloud forests providing the water for the irrigation
system. The agricultural system collapsed with deforestation and agriculture remains today
only in a few areas.

Mireya Munoz (Bolivia) presented the case of the Sajama National Park, which encompasses
200,000 hectars and is one of the first protected areas of Bolivia. The combination of
archaeological sites with a high number of chullpas, site of religious significance and the
natural values of the Andean ecosystem (6,540 m), with one of the highest forests in the
world making it an exceptional site.
                                                                                              5
Victoria Castro (Chile) provided an anthropological approach to the ceremonies of the earth
and water in the north of Chile. The indigenous population believes in the preservation of
plants and animals, not only for their medicinal and ritual uses, but also because they are
important for their perception of the environment. The vegetation is used for numerous
purposes including rituals, construction and medicinal purposes. The cultural landscape
includes the (invisible) cultural dynamics of the communities.

Lautaro Nunez Atencio (Chile) presented the case study of an oasis in the desert of Chile,
where sustainable development is also a question of ethics and preservation of cultural values
under enormous economic pressures and socio-economic changes. The case also led to a
discussion of the dynamics of cultural landscapes, which cannot be seen as static.

Theoretical and methodological aspects

Olga Pizano (Colombia) elaborated theoretical and methodological aspects of landscape
categories and their interpretation while giving an overview over the Andean Region. In her
reflection she reviewed the three types of cultural landscapes and came to the conclusion that
designed cultural landscapes were less present in the region, but existed mainly through
colonial influences in the form of haciendas and botanical gardens for instance. Living
cultural landscapes such as terraced agricultural landscapes with sophisticated irrigation
systems have a high representativity for the Andean region and are also characteristic for
their outstanding universal value with their production of the highest diversity of crops in the
world and their fragile environmental situation (altitude). Characteristic also is the complex
network of routes (el caminos) connecting different territories and regions and technological
achievements with the complex irrigation systems, for examples. Relict/fossil cultural
landscapes are extremely well displayed with a number of pre-Columbian and pre-Inca and
Inca landscapes and their architectural work, which are connected to rituals, artisanal
production, social and agricultural production or other constructions (such as the Nasca
Lines). A high number of associative cultural landscapes can be found in the Andean region
with an overlay of different cultural values due to the Conquista. Two types can be
distinguished: the pre-colonization values still present in a number of sacred sites and ritual
places, sometimes linked to monumental Inca places; and the Spanish colonization with
mainly the Catholic tradition.

In the lively discussion which followed the papers presented, the representatives of IUCN,
Fausto Sarmiento (Ecuador/USA) and the Representative of ICOMOS, Maria de las Nievas
Arias, contributed towards the classification and identification of different types of cultural
landscapes in the region. The recommendations of the expert meeting can be found in the
section Conclusions and Recommendations. A workshop on the topic of sacred sites was
organized by Thomas Schaaf (UNESCO Division of Ecological Sciences) during the meeting
and a summary can be found in ANNEX III.

At the closing session, Patricia Uribe, Director of the UNESCO Office (Lima, Peru) thanked
all participants for their valuable contributions towards the identification of a new type of
property for the World Heritage List. She underlined UNESCO's support in the
implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Andean Region, and stressed the
importance of awareness building in particular among younger generations to protect this
fragile heritage for the future.
                                                                                               6
Public event

The results of the meeting were also presented to the general public with a public event in the
Convento de Santa Catalina in Arequipa. The Major of Arequipa welcomed the participants
and chaired the session. Herman van Hooff presented an overview paper on the World
Heritage Convention and its implementation in Latin America. A podium discussion
followed with Patricia Uribe (Director UNESCO Office Lima), Luis Arista (Director Instituto
Nacional del Cultura), Marko Lopez (INC Arequipa), Elias Mujica (Lima), Lautaro Nunez
Atencio (Chile, on behalf of the meeting participants) and Mechtild Rössler (UNESCO
World Heritage Centre).

Field visit

The main lines of the discussion at the meeting were highlighted during the field study in the
Colca Valley (Cruz del Condor, Cabanaconde, Lari y Coparque). The field visit was directed
by Pablo de la Vera Cruz and consideration was given to a number of issues concerning the
integrity of complex agricultural landscapes (watershed, irrigation systems, communities,
scale etc.) with a specific focus on functional integrity (vertical and horizontal). Other topics
concerned the sustainability of the cultural landscape and issues related to the local
population, their associations to the landscape and its tangible and intangible heritage and the
interaction between different communities. Questions of the management of such a complex
system were raised and it was noted that the landscape changed considerably over time and
that objects in the landscape ("test of authenticity") have been used differently by different
communities (re-use of Inca walls for housing purposes etc.).

Conclusions and recommendations: themes for a dialogue

The expert meeting was the first to be held on Cultural Landscapes of outstanding universal
value in the Andean Region. It represents the first attempt at implementing the concept of
cultural landscapes as part of the Global Strategy for a balanced and representative World
Heritage List for the Latin American Region.

The expert meeting noted the following themes for future dialogue and consideration in the
identification of potential World Heritage sites:


1.     Characteristics of the Andean Region

       The cultural and natural heritage experts revealed in case studies the rich diversity of
       the Andean mountain range, produced by a North-South and East-West variety of
       climatic zones. This characteristic makes the region one of the most diverse in
       environmental terms. A broad range of cultural landscapes evolved on the basis of
       both biological diversity (which includes the origins of the world's crops, such as
       maize and potatoes), and human creativity, which is also expressed in the
       management of land and water resources evident in terraced agricultural systems with
       complex irrigation channels. The Andes is the birthplace of one of the world's most
       outstanding civilizations, the Incas, which transformed the natural landscape.
       Associations to the landscape include sacred places, rituals and age-old beliefs.
                                                                                              7
2.   The definition of cultural landscape categories

     The application of the three cultural landscape categories as outlined in Paragraph 39
     of the Operational Guidelines was reaffirmed for the Andean Region. The categories
     are applicable and there is no need for any changes to the current definitions.

     One of the most disputed issues was the question how to define the distinction
     between a natural landscape and a cultural landscape. The expert meeting affirmed the
     concept of the interaction between people and the environment.

     The transformation of a living into a fossil/relict landscape (and vice-versa) was also
     considered as an issue of extreme relevance for the Andean region.

3.   Cultural landscapes and sustainable development

     In the Andean region landscapes evolved organically on the basis of physical-
     geographical and socio-economic conditions. Specific techniques and land use
     practices developed under these conditions and have the potential to make valuable
     contributions to sustainable development.

     The expert meeting stressed the importance of living cultural landscapes embodying
     past ways of life and having continuing relevance today. It addressed questions of
     sustainability of cultural landscapes, conservation of biodiversity (both natural and
     through human use), identity of people, technology and productivity and poverty.

4.   Cultural landscapes: universality and representativity

     The cultural landscapes of the Andes are among the world's most diverse and complex
     heritage properties. A typology of cultural landscapes for the region would need a
     historical perspective (pre-Inca, Inca, colonial, republican and contemporary),
     consideration of its actual and traditional use and functions (e.g. pastoral, agricultural,
     forestry and spiritual) and an ecological perspective (e.g. paramos, jalcas, punas,
     deserts and forests).

     From these perspectives, cultural landscapes for World Heritage Listing should be
     identified both on the national and the regional levels and could imply serial
     nominations, consisting of complementary elements, itineraries and exchange routes.
     In this identification, particular attention should be given to the contribution made by
     the Andean Region to the world's genetic heritage.


5.   Integrity - authenticity

     Concerning the "test of authenticity" and the "conditions of integrity" as referred to in
     the Operational Guidelines the following elements should be considered:
     -      the Andean people's vision of space and scale (could imply the identification
            of large scale or serial cultural landscapes);
     -      the functional, formal, spatial and structural integrity;
                                                                                          8
     -      integrated natural, cultural and spiritual values of cultural landscapes
            (perception by the local community, interdisciplinary perspectives), as well as
     -      analysis and research.

6.   Management of cultural landscapes

     Concerning the issue of management of cultural landscapes, the role of the local
     communities was highlighted (initially during the nomination process), sustainable
     development and education has to be given major importance. Protective measures
     should take into account and respect the interest of the local communities, who in
     many cases have permanently occupied the land.

     Tourism planning should be an integral part of the management of cultural
     landscapes. Particularly in the case of continuing cultural landscapes with a very
     strong cultural tradition and local identity, tourism could seriously affect the values
     and the way of life of the people. On the other hand, if well planned, sustainable
     tourism can make a substantive contribution to the local economy and even contribute
     to the preservation of the landscape.
                                                                                              9
ANNEX I        Agenda of the Regional Thematic Meeting on Cultural Landscapes in the
               Andes, Arequipa/Chivay, Peru, 17 ­ 22 May 1998

Sábado 16 de mayo:

        Llegada de los participantes a Lima.

Domingo 17 de mayo de 1998:

        Lima-Arequipa, Traslado al Hotel Libertador de Selva Alegre

SESIÓN INAUGURAL

            Palabras de bienvenida del Sr. Luis Sardón, Presidente de Patronato Cultural de
            Arequipa

            Palabras de bienvenida de la Sr. Herman van Hooff, Representante de la
            UNESCO

            Cena

Lunes 18 de mayo de 1998:

07:00       Salida hacia el valle del Colca
            Visita a la localidad de Sibayo
14:00       Llegada al Hotel Rumillaqta, en Chivay, valle del Colca

14:30       Almuerzo

Primera Sesión: INTRODUCCIÓN Y ASPECTOS GENERALES

15:45       Introducción a la reunión de expertos: objetivos y metas esperadas, por Elías
            Mujica, coordinador de la reunión

16:00       La Convención sobre la protección del patrimonio mundial, cultural y natural y
            su implementación en América Latina, por Herman van Hooff

16:45       Paisajes culturales: resultados de reuniones temáticas previas, por Mechtild
            Rössler, Programme Specialist, Natural Heritage & Cultural Landscapes,
            UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

17:45       Los Andes: diversidad y creatividad, por Miguel Holle

18:15       Paisajes culturales productivos: a manera de ejemplos, por Elías Mujica

19:00       Cena
                                                                                         10
Martes 19 de mayo de 1998

07:30 Desayuno

Segunda Sesión: EL           EXTREMO       NORTE       ANDINO       Y    LOS    ANDES
SEPTENTRIONALES

09:00 Paisajes culturales en Venezuela: el caso de los páramos de Mérida, por Maximina
       Monasterio

10:00 Chuao, el caso de una hacienda colonial productora de cacao en Venezuela, por
       María Eugenia Bacci

11:00 El caso de Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, por María Victoria Uribe

12:00 Almuerzo


Tercera Sesión: LOS ANDES CENTRALES

15:00 Paisajes culturales en el Ecuador: una exploración preliminar, por Luis Suárez

16:00 Paisajes protegidos en el contexto de los Andes: naturaleza y cultura en la Cordillera
       de Huayhuash, por Jorge Recharte

17:00 El caso de las lomas de Atiquipa, costa sur del Perú, por José Canziani

19:00 Cena

Miércoles 20 de mayo de 1998

07:00 Desayuno

Día de campo. Visita al valle: Cruz del Cóndor, Cabanaconde, Lari y Coporaque.
Presentación de: El caso del valle del Colca, Arequipa, Perú, por Pablo de la Vera Cruz

Jueves 21 de mayo de 1998:

07:00 Desayuno
08:00 Salida a la ciudad de Arequipa
14:00 Llegada a Arequipa

Viernes 22 de mayo de 1998:

07:30 Desayuno

Cuarta Sesión: LOS ANDES DEL CENTRO-SUR

09:00 El caso de Sajama en Bolivia, por Mireya Muñoz
                                                                                           11

10:00 Ayquina y Toconce: paisajes culturales en el norte árido de Chile, por Victoria
       Castro

11:00 El caso del oasis de San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, por Lautaro Núñez Atencio

12:30 Almuerzo


Quinta Sesión: ASPECTOS TEÓRICOS Y METODOLÓGICOS

14:30 Paisajes culturales y la Guía Operativa: reflexiones teóricas desde los Andes, por
       Olga Pizano

15:30 Discusiones y recomendaciones finales


SESIÓN DE CLAUSURA
Sesión pública, en el Monasterio de Santa Catalina

Bienvenida a los participantes de la reunión y público invitado, por Elías Mujica,
Coordinador de la reunión

La Convención sobre la protección del patrimonio mundial, cultural y natural y su
implementación en América Latina. Conferencia magistra a cargo de Herman van Hooff

Discurso de agradecimiento e importancia de la reunión temática, por Patricia Uribe,
Representante de la UNESCO en el Perú

Discurso de clausura, por Luis Arista, Director General del Instituto Nacional de Cultura del
Perú
                                                                                 12
ANNEX II         List of participants
Experts

BACCI, María Eugenia
Consultora en Planificación del Turismo
Avda. Circunvalación del Sol
Edif. María Eugenia, Apartamento 5-B
Santa Paula, Caracas 1061
VENEZUELA
Telf: (58-2) 987-4328
Fax: (58-2) 987-4328
Correo E.: mebacci@cantv.net

CANZIANI AMICO, José
Director de Investigaciones Instituto Andino de Estudios Arqueológicos - INDEA
Justo Vigil 195
Magdalena, Lima
PERU
Telf. (51-1) 337-5279, 337-5276
Fax. (51-1) 337-5275
Correo E.: canztriv@amauta.rcp.net.pe

CASTRO, Victoria
Catedrática Universidad de Chile, Santiago
Valenzuela Castillo 946
Providencia
Santiago de Chile
CHILE
Telf. (56-2) 678-7745
Fax. (56-2) 678'7756
Correo E.: vcastro@abello.dic.uchile.cl

DE LA VERA CRUZ, Pablo
Instituto Nacional de Cultura, Arequipa
Alameda San Lázaro 120 El Cercado
Arequipa
PERU
Telf.: (51-54) 21-3171
Fax.: (51-54) 21-3171

HOLLE, Miguel
Programa de Biodiversidad de Raíces y Tubérculos Andinos
Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP)
Av. La Universidad 579, La Molina
PERU
Casilla Postal 1558, Lima 12, Perú
Telf. (51-1) 349-6017
Fax. (51-1) 349-5638
Correo E.: m.holle@cgnet.com

MONASTERIO, Maximina
Posgrado de Ecología Tropical
Centro de Investigaciones Ecológicas de los Andes Tropicales - CIELAT
Universidad de Los Andes (Mérida)
Edificio A, La Hechicera
Mérida 5101
VENEZUELA
Telf: (58-74) 40-1255
                                                               13
Fax: (58-74) 40-1286
Correo E.: maximina@ciens.ula.ve

MUJICA, Elías
Director, Instituto Andino de Estudios Arqueológicos (INDEA)
Jr. J. V. Aguirre 148
Chorrillos (Lima 9)
PERU
Telf. (51-1) 467-0553
Fax (51-1) 467-6249
Correo E.: e.mujica@cgnet.com

MUÑOZ, Mireya
Arquitecto Restaurador, Consultora independiente
P.O. Box 5240, La Paz
BOLIVIA
Telf. (591-2) 745-209, 745-177
Fax: (591-2) 72-1145
Correo E.: mireya@ceibo.entelnet.bo

NÚÑEZ ATENCIO, Lautaro
Director, Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo
R. P. Gustavo Le Paige S.J,
Universidad Católica del Norte
San Pedro de Atacama - II Región
CHILE
Telf. (56-55) 85-1066
Fax. (56-55) 85-1002

PIZANO MALLARINO, Olga
Directora de Patrimonio, Ministerio de Cultura
Calle 8, No. 6-97
Apartado Aéreo 252255
Santafé de Bogotá
COLOMBIA
Telf. (57-1) 341-1246
Fax. (57-1) 282-8759
Correo E.: opizano@uniandes.edu.co

RECHARTE, Jorge
Director, Programa Andino
The Mountain Institute
Vasco Núñez de Balboa 445, Dept. 301
Miraflores, Lima
PERU
Telf. (51-1) 444-4507
Fax: (51-44) 72-5996
Correo E.: apu-tmi@amauta.rcp.net.pe

SUÁREZ, Luis
Programa de Biodiversidad, EcoCiencia
Apartado Postal 17-12-257
Quito
ECUADOR
Telefax: (593-2) 45-1338, 45-1339
Correo E.: ecobio@hoy.net
                                                   14
URIBE, María Victoria
Directora, Instituto Colombiano de Antropología
Ministerio de Cultura
Calle 8, No. 8-87
Apartado Aéreo 407
Santafé de Bogotá
COLOMBIA
Telf. (57-1) 333-0535, 333-0548
Fax (57-1) 233-0960
Correo E.: mvuribe@colciencias.gov.co


Advisory Bodies

ICOMOS
ARIAS, María de las Nieves
Profesora Titular Universidad de Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA
Telf. (54-1) 781-0968
Fax: (54-1) 781-0728
Correo E.: c.i.co.p@overnet.com.ar

IUCN
SARMIENTO, Fausto
Director Asociado
Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos y del Caribe
Room G-40 Baldwin Hall, Campus
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602-1619
USA
Telf: (706) 542-9079
Fax: (706) 542-8432
Correo E.: fsarmien@uga.cc.uga.edu

UNESCO Secretariat

VAN HOOFF, Herman
Programme Specialist
World Heritage Centre UNESCO
7 place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
FRANCIA
Telf. (33-1) 4568-1869
Fax. (33-1) 4568-5570
Correo E.: h.van-hooff@unesco.org

RÖSSLER, Mechtild
Programme Specialist
World Heritage Centre UNESCO
7 place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
FRANCIA
Telf. (33-1) 4568-1891
Fax. (33-1) 4568-5570
Correo E.: m.rossler@unesco.org

SCHAAF, Thomas
Programme Specialist
División de Ciencias Ecológicas
                                        15
1, rue Miollis
75015 Paris
FRANCIA
Telf. (33-1) 4568-4065
Fax. (33-1) 4568-5804
Correo E.: t.schaaf@unesco.org

UNESCO Perú

URIBE, Patricia
Representante
Edificio Museo de la Nación, piso 8
Av. Javier Prado Este 2465
San Borja
PERU
Telf. (51-1) 476-9871
Fax: (51-1) 476-9872
Correo E.: unescope@amauta.rcp.net.pe
                                                                                                        16
Annex III        Workshop on the project Sacred Sites - Cultural Integrity and Biological
                 Diversity"

1.      At the occasion of the "Regional Thematic Meeting on Cultural Landscapes in the Andes" in
Chivay and Arequipa (Peru), a workshop was animated by Mr Thomas Schaaf (UNESCO, Division of
Ecological Sciences and Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB)) on 22 May 1998 on the new
UNESCO project "Sacred Sites - Cultural Integrity and Biological Diversity". The workshop was
attended by some fifteen participants from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela,
and thus gave a good geographical representation of the Andean mountain chain. The objectives of
the workshop were to inform on the new UNESCO project, to discuss project objectives and site
selection criteria, and to identify project sites and partners.

2.       The project uses a culture-based approach to enhance environmental conservation. In many
cultures of the world, natural sacred sites are often important areas for environmental conservation.
Traditional respect of the environment and access restrictions to sacred sites have often led to well
conserved areas with high biological diversity. As already demonstrated through a UNESCO pilot
project on sacred groves in Ghana (West Africa), such sites can play an important role in the
conservation of the environment and the rehabilitation of degraded areas. Applying this experience
gained in a wider regional context (Africa, Asia and Latin America), this new UNESCO project is
interdisciplinary in character and involves natural scientists and cultural anthropologists. At the
development level, the project aims at restoring degraded environments surrounding sacred sites by
using sacred areas as reference sites for potential natural vegetation. At the conservation level, the
project will assess if traditional sacred sites can play a complementary role to legally protected areas
(such as national parks). Its results - through inter-regional comparative work - will help to formulate
policy guidelines on culture-based environmental conservation.

3.       Workshop participants felt that a culture-based approach to environmental conservation
would be workable in the Andean context, in particular as many mountains in the Andes are
considered sacred. Such mountains can be the abodes of benevolent, but also of malicious deities and
the respect of sacred sites has often led to well preserved natural areas. It would be important to study
the differences and similarities of sacred areas (especially mountains) in the northern, central and
southern Andes in the light of different cultural contexts. A typology of natural sacred sites may
clarify similarities and differences in the cultural relationship of people with their environment. A first
phase in the project should be concerned with identifying and recording natural sacred sites. A
detailed plant and animal species inventorying should then be carried out by the natural scientists,
while the anthropologists should study the cultural practises (rituals and rites, taboos, natural resource
use and management). Restoration activities of degraded areas should then be carried out in the
second phase of the project based on the findings of the natural and social scientists and in line with
the traditional, religious belief systems, and in direct collaboration with local people.

4.       In a first round, four to five sites should be selected per world region. As for the Andean
context, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Biosphere Reserve (Colombia), the Huascaran World
Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve (Peru), and the Rio Salago area in northern Chile (no protected
area status as yet) were considered as potential study sites for the project. The number of sites could
increase pending suitable project sites, partners, and the availability of funding.