Canaima National Park: Established a world heritage site on 12^th June 1962

§ Area: 3 million ha in south-eastern Venezuela along the border between Guyana and Brazil, altitude of 450m to 2,810m.

§ GeologyUplands of the Gran Sabana and the eastern table mountains (tepuis) of the Roraima Range, as well as the sandstone plateau of Chimantá and Auyán-tepui and the north-western Canaima lowlands. It comprises Precambrian rocks which have been subjected to 600 million years of erosion to form a spectacular landscape. It is composed mainly of horizontal sandstone and lutite strata with inserts of igneous rocks (diorite dykes and colse). There are three disjunct physiographic units: undulating lowlands between 350 and 650m; the flat plateau of the Gran Sabana (800-1500m); and the tepui summits (2000-2700m). The summits reach 1000-2000m above the surrounding plateau and their surfaces are often scarred by gullies, canyons and sinkholes of several hundred metres depth. Water drains from the flat summits forming hundreds of waterfalls. The Río Caroní, with its many tributaries arising within the park, supplies the Guri dam which provides electricity to large areas of the country. There are many waterfalls in the park including Angel Falls, the world's tallest at 1002m.

§ Climate: The climate of the great savanna plateau is temperate with a mean annual temperature of 24.5° C with the temperatures on tepui summits as low as 0° C during the night. Precipitation varies greatly depending on local features but mean annual rainfall is around 2600mm. In the north-west of the park, there is a dry season between December and April, whereas in other areas rainfall is more or less constant throughout the year.

§ Biodiversity: The fauna is diverse, though not very abundant: 118 mammals, 550 birds, 72 reptiles and 55 amphibians have been recorded. The most important types of vegetation are: savanna, moriche Mauritia groves, shrublands, montane forests and pioneer vegetation on the summits of the tepuis.

§ Locals: The park is sparsely inhabited, mostly by Pemón, with less than one person per km² and a total population of 10,000. The Pemón live mainly in the eastern sector of the park in scattered communities of 40-100 individuals. Many Pemón maintain traditional lifestyles of swidden agriculture, hunting and gathering. They also trade artefacts. They now have access to drinking water, electricity, schools and basic medical care

§ Threats: Most of the threats to the park result from poor on-site management which is a product of insufficient financial and human resources. The conservation of the park is in jeopardy due to lack of qualified personnel and appropriate visitor facilities and the inability of the management to control activities within the park. The main problems are: illegal gold mining activities causing siltation and mercury contamination of watercourses; excessive burning of vegetation by indigenous people; and soil erosion, soil compaction and litter resulting from tourism

§ Conservation Strategies/Needs: Santa Elena de Uairén, a town lying 20km to the south of the park, is the main administrative centre. The park is divided into two sectors for administrative purposes. A management plan and regulations for the eastern section of the park were issued under Decree No. 1,640 dated June 5 1991. Objectives formulated in the management plan include provisions for indigenous agricultural production under strict regulation. Other activities are strictly controlled and hunting and collection of wildlife is forbidden. There is no management plan for the western sector of the park

§ Who is involved: INPARQUES, Government of Venezuela, UNESCO