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State of Conservation (SOC)

Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata (2012)

UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds

Total amount provided to the property: USD 44,166 in the framework of the France-UNESCO Convention; USD 40,860 for the supervision of the World Bank/Mauritanian Government/UNESCO tripartite project (USD 1,245,000).

International Assistance granted to the property

Requests Approved: 0 (from1995-2010)
Total Amount Ap proved: 139,632USD

2010 SAUVEGARDE URGENTE DU KSAR DE TICHITT (ANCIENS KSOUR DE ...   20,000  USD
2001 Realisation of preliminary Management plans for the ancient ksour ...   20,000  USD
2001 Installation of Plaques and Publication of Leaflets to ...   5,000  USD
2000 Restoration of the site of Tichitt   6,000  USD
2000 Architectural models of the ancient cities in Mauritania ...   5,000  USD
1999 Stabilitation of the sands surrounding the site of Chinguetti   20,000  USD
1998 Conservation of the Minaret of the Oasis of Ouadane   50,000  USD
1995 Preparation of tentative list and of the nomination file for 4 ...   13,632  USD
Missions**

April 2001: World Heritage Centre; 2002-2004: six World Heritage Centre missions in the framework of the World Bank project; December 2006: France-UNESCO mission and joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission. 

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports

a) Socio-economic and climatic changes;

b) Gradual abandonment of the towns;

c) Transformations made to houses affecting their authenticity;

d) Tourism pressure;

e) No technical conservation capacities;

f) No management mechanism (including legal);

g) Lack of human and financial resources;

h) Weak institutional coordination.

Corrective Measures
Current conservation issues

The State Party has not submitted a report on the state of conservation requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 34th session in 2010.

In October 2010, a request for Emergency International Assistance was approved for the site of Tichitt affected by torrential rains. Initially, the World Heritage Fund allocated an amount of 20,000 USD to finance a mission to assess the damage and the emergency consolidation work required. Following this mission, the State Party submitted a restoration project for the Tichitt Mosque which was discussed with ICOMOS. A revised request for the funding of expertise and a part of the restoration work was expected, but has not yet been received by the World Heritage Centre.

No information on progress in theTichitt project or on the state of conservation of the entire property is available.

Conclusion

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies recommend that the World Heritage Committee regret the absence of the report and express its concern as regards the state of conservation of the property and progress in the restoration project for the Tichitt Mosque which should have begun following the expert mission of December 2010.

Decision
  • Adopted

  • Draft Decision

36COM7B.56
Link to the decision

The World Heritage Committee,

1.   Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,

2.   Recalling Decision 34 COM 7B.60, adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010),

3.   Regrets that the State Party has not submitted the requested report;

4.   Strongly urges the State Party to implement all the recommendations, notably those concerning the establishment of legal protection, the consolidation of appropriate local management mechanisms and the preparation of a management plan for the property;

5.   Requests the State Party to transmit to the World Heritage Centre a technical report on the restoration of the Tichitt Mosque;

6.   Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, a report on progress accomplished in the implementation of its recommendations for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013.

Draft Decision: 36 COM 7B.56

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,

2. Recalling Decision 34 COM 7B.60, adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010),

3. Regrets that the State Partyhas not submitted the requested report;

4. Strongly urges the State Party to implement all the recommendations, notably those concerning the establishment of legal protection, the consolidation of appropriate local management mechanisms and the preparation of a management plan for the property;

5. Requests the State Party to transmit to the World Heritage Centre a technical report on the restoration of the Tichitt Mosque;

6. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, a report on progress accomplished in the implementation of its recommendations for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013.

Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata
State Party:
Mauritania
Date of Inscription: 1996
Nomination records (Year): 1995
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iii)(iv)(v)
SOC Reports
SOC Reports by year
2013
2012
2010
2009
2007
2006
Detailed List of SOC reports
Threats*
Desertification
Financial resources
Governance
Human resources
Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation
Legal framework
Management activities
Management systems/ management plan


* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.