UNESCO and Wood Buffalo National Park 

Our community brought concerns relating to the Wood Buffalo National Park, including the drying of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, to the attention of the World Heritage Committee in 2014. The Committee has since raised our concerns with the Government of Canada and requested that several actions be taken to better protect it. The Government of Canada has now developed a plan, to be actioned over the next two to three years, to address many of these requests including:

• Strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities
• Developing a new monitoring program for the Peace-Athabasca Delta
• Improving water levels and quality by designing new water control structures
• Advancing a new approach to flow regulation on the Peace River
• A proposed cultural and research station in the Peace-Athabasca Delta

Mikisew is working with Environment Canada, Parks Canada and others to ensure the plan is implemented fully, promptly and in a way that recognizes the knowledge and rights of the community. In fall 2022, UNESCO representatives conducted a review of progress, which included Mikisew participation.

For more information, please see:

• Mikisew Press Release: September 2023, MCFN applauds newest World Heritage Committee decision
• Bulletin: A Time for Bold Action