Decision 42 COM 7A.53

Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Madagascar) (N 1257)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7A.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7A.14 adopted at its 41st session (Kraków, 2017),
3. Appreciates the State Party’s continued efforts to implement the corrective measures, including for surveillance, ecological monitoring and restoration of degraded areas, welcomes the new Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects on forest restoration and strengthening local community involvement, and requests the State Party to continue implementing the corrective measures, and to report on the results of ecological monitoring and remaining sites to be rehabilitated;
4. Noting the reported decrease in the 2017 deforestation rate, notably in Andohahela National Park, and also recalling the increase in the 2016 deforestation rates of Andohahela and Masoala National Parks, also requests the State Party to provide further information on deforestation rates for each component of the property since 2009, including an analysis of satellite imagery;
5. Also noting the State Party’s efforts to implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Action Plan and Biodiversity Management Plan, considers that the numbers of court cases and logs seized and the volume of stocks audited since November 2017 demonstrate that the illegal trade of precious wood species from Madagascar remains a persistent threat to the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), urges the State Party to strengthen its control and enforcement measures against illegal logging and export, and strongly encourages it to implement the CITES Decision 17.204 and all recommendations of the CITES Standing Committee;
6. Notes with significant concern that gold mining is becoming an increasingly severe threat to Ranomafana National Park, and further requests the State Party to provide an update on the status of the five-year Action Plan on illegal mining and its implementation;
7. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2019, 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;
8. Decides to retain Rainforest of the Atsinanana (Magadascar) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.