How are the Nazca Lines preserved and protected?
The Nazca Lines have a protection area that extends over 186,000 acres. The low rainfall rates (the lowest in the world), determine desert climate characteristics and extreme aridity that have favored the preservation of the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca. There have, however, been incidents in which human activity has damaged the lines in recent years. In December 2014, Greenpeace activists damaged the Nazca Lines while setting up a banner within the lines of one of the geoglyphs. The activists damaged an area around the hummingbird by grinding rocks into the sandy soil. The Greenpeace incident also directed attention to other damage to geoglyphs outside of the World Heritage area caused in 2012 and 2013 by off-road vehicles, which is visible from satellite imagery. Even with such instances, harmful human activity has caused no severe impact on the property, so the geoglyphs and cultural landscape have remained intact for nearly two millennia. The cleaning and preservation works performed have not affected the property’s integrity and have promoted their conservation.
The National Constitution and General Law for National Cultural Heritage are the main legal protection tools for the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca. Since 1941 foreign scientists (notably Dr. Maria Reiche) and the Ministry of Culture have carried out archaeological investigation, conservation, permanent protection and maintenance measures. The management and protection of the Nazca Lines is the responsibility of the Peruvian Government represented by the Ministry of Culture. A management plan, which is fundamentally important in the protection and preservation of the lines has been created and is being implemented by the Peruvian Government.
The National Constitution and General Law for National Cultural Heritage are the main legal protection tools for the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca. Since 1941 foreign scientists (notably Dr. Maria Reiche) and the Ministry of Culture have carried out archaeological investigation, conservation, permanent protection and maintenance measures. The management and protection of the Nazca Lines is the responsibility of the Peruvian Government represented by the Ministry of Culture. A management plan, which is fundamentally important in the protection and preservation of the lines has been created and is being implemented by the Peruvian Government.