Decision 44 COM 7B.176

iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa) (N 914)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions CONF 209 VIII.A.1, 27 COM 7B.6 and 28 COM 15B.5, respectively adopted at its 23rd (Marrakesh, 1999), 27th (UNESCO, 2003) and 28th (Suzhou, 2004) sessions,
3. Noting with concern the clearing and burning of swamp forests for subsistence agriculture in the property, requests the State Party to continue to monitor the situation and to continue its dialogue with the local communities to resolve outstanding issues and to ensure that no further damage takes place;
4. Also noting with concern the significant drop in average water levels in Lake Sibaya since the time of inscription, welcomes the reported efforts to develop a holistic approach to mitigate water loss in Lake Sibaya system in consultation with all stakeholders, and also requests the State Party to assess the effectiveness of these efforts and strengthen its management responses where considered necessary;
5. Also welcomes the reported objection of the management authority to the proposed prospective mining and offshore exploratory drilling activities outside of the property, and further requests the State Party to ensure any activity that has the potential to negatively impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), undertaken in line with the IUCN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, to inform decision-making;
6. Also recalling that ecological restoration is an important management objective of the Lake St. Lucia Estuary and key to maintaining the property’s OUV, notes with concern that the artificial breaching of the estuary in January 2021 departs from the management plan and scientific advice, and further welcomes the decision to commission an independent Panel of Experts that will review all the relevant studies, recommendations and decisions taken in relation to the breaching of Lake St. Lucia Estuary mouth, and urges the State Party to ensure that the work of this Panel be guided by the objective of protecting the OUV of the property and submit the findings of the Panel to the World Heritage Centre;
7. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 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 45th session.