UNESCO visited Rapa Nui to support mitigation measures after fire at World Heritage site

The exploratory mission took place between October 17 and 21, 2022 to "evaluate the possibilities of activating emergency funds from UNESCO to help diagnose the extent of the damage to this World Heritage Site, and to strengthen the site’s management and comprehensive protection plan," said Claudia Uribe, director of UNESCO's representation in Chile. Uribe added that "The idea is to focus this assistance on diagnostic tasks that will make it possible to assess the extent of the damage caused by the fire and thus determine the actions needed to recover the park and its future protection".

The fire on the island, located in the South Pacific 3,700 kilometers off the coast of Chile, was declared on October 4, spread over an area of approximately 240 hectares, and affected the crater, the quarry and the vicinity of the Rano Raraku volcano. The fire damaged natural areas and deteriorated archaeological structures, among them 177 moai (according to a first report issued by the National Forestry Corporation of Chile, CONAF), stone sculptures that are witnesses of a society of Polynesian origin that built sanctuaries and statues from the 10th to the 16th century, that make up a unique cultural legacy that fascinates the whole world.

The delegation first met on Monday, October 17 with Juliette Hotus, Rapa Nui's provine presidential delegate, with Mayor Pedro Edmunds and with Sergio Tepano, head of the Indigenous Affairs Office of the National Indigenous Development Corporation (CONADI) in Rapa Nui. Subsequently, the indigenous community Ma'u Henua, administrators of the World Heritage Site, held a meeting with the UNESCO representatives, personnel from the park, the National Monuments Council, the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) and the Provincial Technical Secretariat of the National Monuments Council, among other representatives.

On Tuesday, October 18, UNESCO representatives met with Pedro Edmunds, Mayor (tavana) of Rapa Nui. The island's representative stressed the importance of the diagnosis to assess the damage caused by the fire. That same day UNESCO visited the park, specifically the areas of Vinapu and the Rano Raraku volcano, with the expert guidance of Ma'u Henua. The visit served as a space to listen to the needs for capacity building in management, emergency response and administration of this World Heritage Site. The mission also met with Hunoi, the assembly that represents the 36 clans of the island, who expressed numerous challenges that the community faces, including issues such as  preventative measures, communications and capacity building, among others.

On Wednesday, October 19, UNESCO met with actors involved in emergency tasks: the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the Provincial Presidential Delegation, the Provincial Technical Secretariat of the National Monuments Council (STP) and the Ma'u Henua community, to discuss the causes and consequences of the fire, both environmental and archaeological, and  action plans to consider. The UNESCO team also met with Carlos Edmunds, president of the Council of Elders, and Leviante Araki, president of the Rapa Nui Parliament. After this meeting, the delegation visited the Anthropological Museum Father Sebastian Englert (MAPSE).