State of Conservation (SOC)

Requests Approved: 0 (from1981-2002)
Total Amount Ap proved: 140,000USD

UNESCO/IUCN/Ramsar mission in 1999; IUCN/Ramsar mission in 2000; and IUCN mission in 2002.

a) Adverse impacts of dam construction;

b) Inadequate water flows for maintaining biological system;

c) Inadequate management structure;

d) No management plan. 

The World Heritage Committee at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003), set the following benchmarks (27 COM 7A.8):

a) The reinforcement of the management structure for the Park; in particular the creation of an autonomous and permanent management structure, that takes into consideration the specificities of Ichkeul and the sustainability of its values, with appropriate decision making powers;

b) A guarantee in writing confirming that the State Party will consider the property as a water “consumer” and commit an annual water inflow into the lake of an average of 80-120 million cubic metres from upstream dams through water releases or overflow;

c) The establishment of a “Committee 21” for elaborating a local Agenda 21; and

d) Completion of a participatory management plan for the property under the GEF/World Bank funded project.

In a letter from the State Party dated 2 February 2006, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development notes considerable progress in the regeneration of the Ichkeul ecosystems and requests that the property be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The letter notes that the efforts of Tunisia in relation to water management and the implementation of a monitoring and research programme, combined with favourable climatic conditions, have allowed a large part of the property to recuperate the values for which the property was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The letter stresses that Ichkeul has been recognised as a net “consumer” of water within the “Plan Directeur des Eaux du Nord” and therefore Tunisia will ensure the annual release of a minimum amount of water required for the survival of the ecosystems. Finally, the State Party provides information on the participatory management plan that is currently being developed and on the GEF/World Bank project, which deals with three Tunisian national parks, also covering Ichkeul National Park and is planned for six years (2003-2008). The 2006 State Party report also includes the annual report of scientific monitoring for the Park for 2004-2005 prepared by ‘l’Agence Nationale de Protection de l’Environnement’ (ANPE). The report notes that in certain areas the ecosystem has returned to a state approaching that in the 1980s, and in particular that:

a) As was the case in the 2002/2003 winter, water releases from the dams in 2004/2005 were very high (at 345 million cubic metres) and equivalent to water flow from the catchment in times prior to the dams being built;

b) the high level of water for a long period resulted in very low levels of salinity as well as the flooding of almost the entirety of the marshes for extended periods;

c) there is ongoing development and recovery of pondweeds (Potamogeton pectinatus), Scirpus rushes and Phragmites reeds, which are critical to the entire ecosystem and indicators for recovery; and

d) a larger number of wintering water birds and nesting birds have returned, as well as fish and eels.

The report notes that the current regeneration of the ecosystem justifies the proposed management of water releases on a pluri-annual basis. It argues that variations of the environmental conditions have shaped the current ecosystem and that therefore a management which would maintain artificially the Ichkeul ecosystem in constant optimum conditions would not be consistent with the conservation objectives of the ecosystem.

The World Heritage Centre and IUCN note the improvements of the state of conservation of this property, reflecting the third consecutive season of average or above-average rainfall with the release water from the dams to the Park and resulting in considerable regeneration of the ecosystems of Ichkeul National Park. It is expected, now that the dams are filled, that this regeneration will continue as long as regular flows of freshwater are guaranteed. Continued monitoring is essential and this appears to be assured under the ANPE and the GEF/World Bank supported project. The State Party is commended for the very professional and detailed scientific monitoring and reporting carried out by ANPE and Tunisian university bodies to date.

The important progress in the rehabilitation of the property is acknowledged. However, the decision whether or not to take the property off the List of World Heritage in Danger should be based on the extent to which the benchmarks set by the World Heritage Committee at its 27th session have been met. IUCN considers that not all benchmarks have been adequately met at this point. In particular, progress on management issues, including the creation of an autonomous and permanent management structure and the development of the participatory management plan is not yet complete. Two agencies, the ANPE and the Forestry Department, currently have a role in managing and monitoring the Park and there is a need to ensure a permanent, harmonised structure, with clear decision-making processes. The role of joint programming, monitoring of implementation and coordination is currently fulfilled by the project management team that was created for the GEF project and groups the different stakeholders. The report of the State Party notes that this structure will be continued after the end of the project to ensure implementation of the management plan of the Park. IUCN notes that appropriate management arrangements for the property, to be undertaken by the Forestry Department, are critical for the conservation of its universal values and look forward to assessing the completed management arrangements under the GEF project when these become available.

The State Party has also not yet committed to a specific amount of water flow into the Park. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN consider that further discussion is required in relation to this specific benchmark. Following the request of the State Party to remove the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, a joint IUCN / UNESCO mission is planned for May 2006, which will allow further discussions on this issue. The outcomes of this mission will be presented during the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee (Vilnius, 2006), and a revised draft Decision could be proposed to take account of the conclusions.