Decision 40 COM 7B.88

Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (India) (N 1406rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 37 COM 8B.11 and 38 COM 8B.7, adopted at its 37th (Phnom Penh, 2013) and 38th (Doha, 2014) sessions, respectively,
3. Welcomes the further progress made by the State Party as regards the intended expansion of the property, in particular the decision to incorporate Khirganga National Park within the property in the future, and encourages the State Party to continue the plan for progressive expansion, with the technical support of the World Heritage Centre and IUCN as required, and taking into account the findings of the regional comparative study; and to submit its proposals to the World Heritage Centre, in the format of a new Nomination for examination by the Committee;
4. Also welcomes the progress achieved by the State Party in working with local communities and indigenous peoples, and also encourages further local consultation and involvement in decision-making to find mutually acceptable ways to resolve any ongoing resource use conflicts, while respecting any rights of use, and on the basis of an accurate assessment of impacts from resource use (in particular grazing and collection of medicinal plants) on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
5. Requests the State Party to re-consider the possibility of notification of Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuary as a national park;
6. Also requests the State Party to fully consider and address the management deficiencies identified in the recently published national level Management Effectiveness Assessment exercise, which took place from 2006 to 2014, in particular:
   1. Regulate the transit of livestock through the property,
   2. Conclude the process to recognise the rights of local communities in Jiwanal Valley,
   3. Consolidate the management of the Parwati Valley,
   4. Address human-wildlife conflicts,
   5. Ensure adequate levels of staffing, equipment and training for patrolling in high-altitude terrain;
7. Further welcomes the State Party’s commitment to contribute to a regional comparative study to assess the scope of ecosystems within the Himalayas and adjacent mountain regions with a view to identifying potential World Heritage candidate areas and boundary configurations in this region, including potential serial nominations / extensions, as recommended by the Committee, and recommends that the State Party consult with other relevant States Parties from the region, as well as with IUCN and other partners as required;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2018, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session in 2019.