IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Durmitor National Park - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment Durmitor National Park 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment SITE INFORMATION Country: Montenegro Inscribed in: 1980 Criteria: (vii) (viii) (x) This breathtaking national park was formed by glaciers and is traversed by rivers and underground streams. Along the Tara river canyon, which has the deepest gorges in Europe, the dense pine forests are interspersed with clear lakes and harbour a wide range of endemic flora. © UNESCO SUMMARY 2020 Conservation Outlook Finalised on 08 Dec 2020 SIGNIFICANT CONCERN The current conservation status of the World Heritage values of Durmitor National Park is of ‘Significant Concern’ overall. Due to serious financial constraints and lack of personnel, the current management of the site cannot effectively address all present threats, such as illegal logging and the growing impact of tourism activities and over-visitation. Management staff is also very limited in its capacity to address threats originating from outside the site’s boundaries, such as uncontrolled urban and tourism infrastructure development. At the same time, there are high concerns regarding potential threats, particularly a new hydropower project Buk Bijela in Bosnia and Herzegovina and small hydropower projects in the wider Tara catchment, which could not be controlled or even mitigated by the park authorities and which could have a much larger and potentially irreversible impact on the site’s values and integrity. IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Durmitor National Park - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment FULL ASSESSMENT Description of values Values World Heritage values ▶ Exceptional natural beauty Criterion:(vii) Durmitor National Park's exceptional scenic beauty has been shaped by glaciers and rivers. The alpine meadows on plateaus and smooth hills are set against the stark backdrop of the numerous high and rugged peaks. The dense forests and the glacial lakes add to the scenic diversity and appeal. The most dramatic elements of the spectacular mountain landscape are the deep river canyons, most notably the famous Tara River Gorge, Europe's deepest gorge and one of very few unaffected by dams and roads. Even the underground offers stunning natural beauty in the form of numerous caves, most notably the “Ice Cave”, with its impressive ice stalactites and stalagmite (World Heritage Committee, 2015). ▶ Geological features Criterion:(viii) Geologically, Durmitor and Tara canyons are made up of rocky massifs of the Middle and Upper Triassic, Upper Jurassic and Upper Cretaceous, though more recent rocks are also present. The dominant features are limestone, especially the so-called Durmitor Flysch, a set of tectonic layers inclined at an angle of 90 degrees in the Durmitor Massif. There are displays of many karst features: rugged peaks, limestone plateaus, deep canyons (such as the Tara gorge, 60 km in length), caves (including Montenegro’s deepest cave and subterranean rivers draining some of the glacial lakes), etc. (World Heritage Committee, 2015). Less known but no less fascinating is the underground world of the property. It includes Montenegro's deepest cave and subterranean rivers draining some of the glacial lakes. In particular, the “Ice Cave” is a visually stunning and a rare relict of past glaciation (World Heritage Committee, 2015). ▶ Rare and endemic flora Criterion:(x) Spanning an altitude range from 450 to 2,500 m, Durmitor National Park supports a rich karstic flora (700 species, with 1,600 existing in the wider area (World Heritage Committee, 2015) with many rare and endemic species. Durmitor, together with the Tara canyon, represents one of the most important refugia of arcto-tertiary flora, as evidenced by its endemic and relict species. The endemic flora of Durmitor comprises 175 species, which represents 12% of the total flora of this massif. High mountain endemics number 122 species, which is 77% of the total endemic flora of this massif, and 15 % of the total high mountain flora. The park contains one of the last virgin black pine forests in Europe, on soils that would usually develop beech woodland (World Heritage Committee, 2015). ▶ Terrestrial species diversity Criterion:(x) Among the large mammals are predators like Brown Bear, Grey Wolf, European Wild Cat and River Otter. Some 130 bird species include birds of prey, such as Golden and Short-toed Eagle, Honey Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon (World Heritage Committee, 2015). About 50% of the national population of the Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is found in the park, making some of the largest leks, not only in Montenegro and the Balkans, but in the whole of Europe. Durmitor is also the first area in Montenegro for Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) and second best for Hazel Grouse (Bonasa bonasia) and Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus). River canyons of Tara and Sušica and some other cliffs in the park are nesting site of 4-6 pairs of Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and some 10-15 pairs of Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo), while Rock Partridges (Alectoris graeca) and Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris balcanica) and Rock Thrushes (Monticola saxatilis) inhabit high bare rocky areas. Open grassy areas of the Durmitor plateau are important for Wood Larks (Lullula arborea), Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris) and IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Durmitor National Park - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment the Short-toed Snake Eagles (Circaetus gallicus). Occasionally the area is visited by small flocks or individual Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) that breed in nearby Uvac canyon in Serbia (Rubinić et al., 2019). ▶ Endangered freshwater species Criterion:(x) The Tara and its tributaries, as well as the lakes, contain a large number of salmonidae (UNEP-WCMC, 2012). The endangered Danube Salmon, under heavy pressure from overuse and dam construction elsewhere in its natural habitat, continues to live in the rivers of the park (World Heritage Committee, 2015). Assessment information Threats Current Threats High Threat The current threats, including expansion of the ski resort, extraction of water from Modro jezero, over- visitation and tourism are very high. Poaching and logging, some human activities and urbanisation (inside the site mainly visible as new infrastructure for visitation) are high and have a serious visual impact on the exceptional natural beauty of the area and its biodiversity values. ▶ Invasive Non-Native/ Alien Species Low Threat (Introduction of non-native fish species) Inside site, scattered(5-15%) Outside site The rivers and lakes have been stocked with non-native fish species (rainbow trout) (WWF, 2007). Several lakes, not connected with the river system and originally without fish, have been stocked artificially. ▶ Tourism/ Recreation Areas Very High Threat (Ski resort development) Inside site, scattered(5-15%) Outside site Ski runs and lifts have been constructed inside the World Heritage site (World Heritage Centre, 2017; World Heritage Committee, 2016). Savin Kuk (near the village of Zabljak) is one of the most important ski centres in Montenegro, easily accessible from Podgorica. A medium-size skiing area has been developed inside the World Heritage site, including chairlifts and ski runs, placing additional inadequately planned growth pressure on the area. The spatial plan for the wider Zabljak area includes plans for a significant extension and enlargement of the existing ski centre Savin Kuk, along with the extension of the existing ski lift, new lifts and new ski slopes and several steps towards the transformation of the ski centre into a larger-scale ski resort have already commenced (works on the slopes of the mountains to enable new ski corridors, construction of the infrastructure and facilities for visitors, new access roads for road traffic, extensive parking lots, erection of a garage, restaurants, creation of a water reservoir for artificial snow etc.). In the initial phase of the enlargement of the ski centre Savin Kuk, the transformation of the existing ski lift into a six-seat cable lift and extension of the ski terrain to the top of Savin Kuk, together with the construction of the extensive water reservoir and other construction works on the infrastructure for visitors, are foreseen and some already being implemented (IUCN and UNESCO, 2018). The spatial plan is currently under revision and the draft amendments are on public hearing until end of September, 2020. It was intended that this would lead to more emphasis on smaller ski developments of local character and limited capacities, however, it is concerning that the amendments to the proposed expansion of the Savin Kuk ski resort would still significantly extend this ski area (IUCN Consultation, 2020). The Government of Montenegro has temporary suspended all plans regarding potential expansion of the ski zones inside the World Heritage site (State Party of Montenegro, 2020). This threat rating is based on the situation at the time of the assessment and also takes into account the cumulative impacts of this threat with other related threats (urban development, tourism). The threat rating may change depending on the revision of the spatial IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Durmitor National Park - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment plan. ▶ Mining/ Quarrying Very Low Threat (Pollution from mining) Outside site A mining area with a polluted reservoir was located upstream of the World Heritage site on the Tara River (UNEP-WCMC, 2012). The lead mine tailings and toxic waste disposal are located 32 km upstream of the National Park boundaries. A lead and zinc processing plant, using the flotation of ore, in Mojkovac was in operation from 1976 to 1991. The toxic waste, which was stocked in an area of 19 hectares (altogether around 2 million m3), has been purified in the past, however, the waste threatened the environment after closure of the mine. The rehabilitation works on the lead mine tailings and toxic waste disposal and adjacent contaminated areas have been finalised and significant progress has been made to address the issue.