Project

All of the Maya sites in the Usumacinta River Valley are affected by erosion, looting, and overgrowth, and there is constant pressure to use land for grazing. For decades, the Mexican government has proposed building a hydroelectric dam along the Usumacinta, which, if completed, would jeopardize the Maya legacy in the region. (...)

All of the Maya sites in the Usumacinta River Valley are affected by erosion, looting, and overgrowth, and there is constant pressure to use land for grazing. For decades, the Mexican government has proposed building a hydroelectric dam along the Usumacinta, which, if completed, would jeopardize the Maya legacy in the region. Because of these threats, WMF Watch-listed Yaxchilán in 2000 and 2002 and Piedras Negras in 2002 before combining the two sites (and all the archaeological territory in between) into the Usumacinta River Cultural Landscape for the 2004 cycle.

WMF sponsored the initial phases of the development of an integrated management plan for Yaxchilán. A symposium on Yaxchilán and Piedras Negras, organized by WMF, was held in 2002, bringing experts together with the community to discuss sustainable tourism and conservation. WMF also commissioned a study of the damage that could potentially be caused by a dam on the river, which used NASA and AIRSAR technology to examine different visual scenarios. WMF participated in an international coalition to create an overall preservation strategy and management plan that included tourism promotion, visitor protection, and local involvement in addition to individual conservation projects. On the ground, WMF organized training workshops for caretakers and stabilization began on several structures at Yaxchilán and Piedras Negras. WMF has continued to contribute funding and expertise to both sites, to participate in conferences and planning sessions, and to advocate for the preservation of this remarkable cultural landscape.