Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve
UNESCO world heritage
Miskito Indians on the Rio Patuca
National territory:	Honduras
Type:	nature
Criteria :	(vii) (viii) (ix) (x)
Surface:	350,000 ha
Buffer zone:	150,000 ha
Reference No .:	196
UNESCO region :	Latin America and the Caribbean
History of enrollment
Enrollment:	1982  ( session 6 )
Red list :	1996-2007 since 2011

The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras is one of the few remaining tropical rainforests in Central America .

In 1969 the area was placed under protection. The biosphere reserve has also been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982 . From 1996 it was put on the Red List of World Heritage due to a large number of threats . In particular, it is a risk from:

• illegal logging ( Swietenia ) and slash and burn ,
• Agriculture and livestock in the south and west of the park,
• Planning of the hydropower plant Patuca II nearby,
• Introduction of foreign animal and plant species,
• inadequate management.

In 2007, the World Heritage Committee decided to delete the entry, as the protective measures taken are now taking effect. At the request of the government of Honduras, the natural heritage site was placed on the Red List of World Heritage in Danger again in 2011 in order to activate support for the preservation of the biosphere reserve.

The Río Plátano biosphere reserve extends over approx. 5000 km² and extends from the Caribbean coast up to 1326 m. It has a rich flora and fauna (including macaw , jaguar , puma , tapir ).

Around 2000 Miskito and Pech Indians were able to maintain their traditional way of life in the area of ​​the national park . Petroglyphs find evidence of a long history of settlement.

Web links

Commons : Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
• World Conservation Monitoring Center (English)
• Travel information including a map

Coordinates: 15 ° 44 ′ 40 "  N , 84 ° 40 ′ 30"  W.