Decision 44 COM 7B.74

Wadi Rum Protected Area (Jordan) (C/N 1377)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.67, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Welcomes the significant progress made with regards to the development of the buffer zone provisions and regulations, as well as a related land use plan and the proposal to submit these changes as a Minor Boundary Modification to the World Heritage Centre, and requests the State Party to pursue the implementation of the “General Provisions and Regulations of the Buffer Zone of Wadi Rum Protected Area”, and to inform the World Heritage Centre once this has been published in the official gazette;
4. While noting the development of the “Instructions for regulating camping, touristic activities and events within Wadi Rum Protected Area”, also requests the State Party to inform the World Heritage Centre once this document has been published in the official gazette;
5. Expresses concern that uncontrolled tourism continues to present the biggest challenge facing the property, and reiterates its request to the State Party to urgently address the issue of tourist camps and other camp-like installations within the property, to rehabilitate any areas that may have been degraded, and to ensure strict enforcement of the above mentioned instructions;
6. Also welcomes the confirmation that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) of tourism activities in and around the property will be carried out, and further requests the State Party to finalize this process as an important step towards ensuring sustainable tourism management in the property;
7. Further welcomes the submission of the draft Integrated Management Plan (IMP), and requests furthermore the State Party to revisit the IMP in accordance with the technical reviews provided by the Advisory Bodies, identifying targeted actions to be implemented, including those to address issues related to carrying capacity studies, zoning and regulations, and the inclusion of a comprehensive conservation strategy, and to ensure that the IMP provides references to legal measures and policies, and is backed by the necessary trained staff and financial resources, to enable the effective management of the property and its buffer zone;
8. Also expresses concern that no substantial progress has been made in addressing the wastewater problem of Rum Village and the tourism camps, as well as the Disi villages which pose a potential risk to the Disi Aquifer, and urges the State Party to accelerate the development of wastewater treatment facilities and provide a clear timeframe for their completion;
9. Welcomes furthermore the State Party’s progress in pursuing collaboration with national and international institutions for achieving the highest standards in science- and evidence-based decision-making related to the management of the property;
10. Continues to encourage the State Party to expeditiously complete the integration of the cultural heritage database with the natural heritage database into one compatible Geographic Information System (GIS) database, to support and facilitate the integrated monitoring and management of the cultural and natural attributes of the property, in line with the new IMP;
11. Also urges once again the State Party to continue to actively pursue the implementation of all recommendations of the 2014 mission, particularly with regards to carrying out assessment of tourism activities through EIA and HIA processes in and around the property;
12. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, 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 46th session.