Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information.

i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
vii
viii
ix
x

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary

India
Factors affecting the property in 2004*
  • Civil unrest
  • Financial resources
  • Illegal activities
  • Other Threats:

    Damaged Park infrastructure

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports

Poaching/Hunting; Armed conflict; Civil unrest.

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2004
Requests approved: 2 (from 1997-1997)
Total amount approved : 165,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2004**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2004

Since the late ‘80s Bodo militants have restricted staff movements to effectively protect Manas. The Head of IUCN’s Protected Areas Programme for Asia informed a panel at the IUCN Asia Pacific meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in December 2003, that the Government of India and the Bodo people had signed an agreement on 6 December. Other unconfirmed reports received in December 2003 indicated that the Governments of India and Bhutan were taking consolidated actions to curtail militancy in order to security conditions for conservation action in and around the transborder Manas ecosystem.

 

By letter of 31 October 2003, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) requested authorization for changes in the use of funds available for the rehabilitation of Manas. The Chief Warden of Manas had proposed that the US$20,000 remaining unspent from the US$165,000 provided so far, and originally foreseen for buying two fiber-glass boats and 400 patrolling gears and for setting up an Internet facility be instead used for buying two wooden, mechanized boats with Kirloskar engines and camp equipment like mattresses, torches, first-aid kits, lanterns etc. After obtaining IUCN’s consent, the Centre agreed to these changes.

 

In the same letter the Ministry had informed the Centre that it wishes to avail itself of the additional US$70,000 from the Fund to fully use the US$ 235,000 that the 1997 Bureau had agreed to grant, in principle, for the rehabilitation of Manas. The State Party wishes to use the US$70,000 for the construction of three bridges at selected locations distributed throughout Manas. IUCN, based on recommendations of its visit to the property in early 2002 suggested that the US$70,000 is better spent on the preparation of a management plan, linked to an operational plan, and for meeting needs of a number of other priorities identified by the 2002 mission e.g. training and capacity building, infrastructure and communications development, conservation education, interpretation and research. The Centre transmitted IUCN suggestions to MOEF and is awaiting a response.

 

At its last session the Committee noted that the Centre and MOEF were working with UN Foundation (UNF) to raise finances for a World Heritage Biodiversity Programme for India (WHBPI) and requested that the State Party submit a progress report to the Centre, by 1 February 2004. Although no report from the State Party has been received thus far on this subject, UNF informed the Centre, MOEF and other partners on 8 April 2004, that its Board had approved a US$5 million partnership for financing WHBPI. UNF will provide US$2.5 million subject to the Centre, MOEF and others co-operating with UNF mobilizing the other US$2.5 million from third party donors. WHBPI includes several activities benefiting staff and local communities of four of the five World Natural Heritage properties of India, including Manas.

 

The Centre has been working with UNF to contact and negotiate with other Foundations established by Indian expatriate communities in the US and interest them to contribute to World Heritage conservation. Currently the America India Foundation (AIF) and the Suri Saigal Foundation (SSF) have pledged to mobilize about US$1.5 million to match UNF contributions to WHBPI partnership. The Ford Foundation, through its South Asia Office in New Delhi is studying the possibility to contribute US$400,000 to match an equivalent amount from UNF. All these Foundations wish that their contributions be used to improve livelihood options for communities resident in and around World Heritage properties. UNF’s core contributions of US$2.5 million on the other hand can be used for activities directly benefiting field staff and management capacity building. The Centre, UNF, MOEF and other partners are discussing the feasibility of convening a meeting during May-June 2004 at UNESCO, Paris, to discuss these and other options for financing WHBPI and take steps to begin implementation of site-specific conservation activities in and around Manas as quickly as possible. The outcome of these discussions will be reported at the time of the 28th session of the Committee.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2004
28 COM 15A.10
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (India)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Congratulates the State Party and welcomes its commitment to co-operate with national and international partners to raise financing for World Heritage conservation in India;

2. Commends the United Nations Foundation (UNF) and its partners for committing financial support for World Heritage conservation in India including support to Manas Wildlife Sanctuary;

3. Recommends the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to fully co-operate with the State Party, UNF and other national and international partners to begin activities benefiting Manas Wildlife Sanctuary as soon as possible;

4. Requests the World Heritage Centre and IUCN in co-operation with the State Party to undertake a mission to the property to assess the security situation and ecological conditions and submit recommendations for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 29th session in 2005;

5. Decides to retain Manas Wildlife Sanctuary on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

28 COM 15C.2
List of World Heritage in Danger

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Following examination of state of conservation reports of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-04/28.COM/15A Rev),

2. Decides to maintain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:

  • Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, Afghanistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.21)
  • Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.22)
  • Butrint, Albania (Decision 28 COM 15A.28)
  • Tipasa, Algeria (Decision 28 COM 15A.16)
  • Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower, Azerbaijan (Decision 28 COM 15A.29)
  • Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin (Decision 28 COM 15A.14)
  • Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park, Central African Republic (Decision 28 COM 15A.1)
  • Comoé National Park, Côte d'Ivoire (Decision 28 COM 15A.2 )
  • Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea (Decision 28 COM 15A.5)
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Virunga National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Garamba National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Salonga National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Sangay National Park, Ecuador (Decision 28 COM 15A.12)
  • Abu Mena, Egypt (Decision 28 COM 15A.17)
  • Simien National Park, Ethiopia
  • (Decision 28 COM 15A.4)
  • Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras (Decision 28 COM 15A.13)
  • Group of Monuments at Hampi, India (Decision 28 COM 15A.24)
  • Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, India (Decision 28 COM 15A.10)
  • Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat), Iraq (Decision 28 COM 15A.18)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, Jerusalem (Decision 28 COM 15A.31)
  • Timbuktu, Mali (Decision 28 COM 15A. 15)
  • Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Decision 28 COM 15A.25)
  • Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves, Niger (Decision 28 COM 15A.6)
  • Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.26)
  • Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone, Peru (Decision 28 COM 15A.30)
  • Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines (Decision 28 COM 15A.27)
  • Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal (Decision 28 COM 15A.7 )
  • Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia (Decision 28 COM 15A.9)
  • Everglades National Park, United States of America (Decision 28 COM 15A.11)
  • Historic Town of Zabid, Yemen (Decision 28 COM 15A.20)

Draft Decision:  28 COM 15A.10

 The World Heritage Committee,

 1.  Congratulates the State Party and welcomes its commitment to co-operate with national and international partners to raise financing for World Heritage conservation in India;

 2.  Commends the United Nations Foundation (UNF) and its partners for committing financial support for World Heritage conservation in India including support to Manas Wildlife Sanctuary;

 3.  Recommends the Centre and IUCN to fully co-operate with the State Party, UNF and other national and international partners to begin activities benefiting Manas Wildlife Sanctuary as soon as possible;

 4.  Requests the State Party to invite a joint IUCN/Centre mission to the property to assess the security situation and ecological conditions and submit recommendations to the 29th session of the Committee;

 5.  Decides to retain Manas Wildlife Sanctuary on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Report year: 2004
India
Date of Inscription: 1985
Category: Natural
Criteria: (vii)(ix)(x)
Danger List (dates): 1992-2011
Documents examined by the Committee
arrow_circle_right 28COM (2004)
Exports

* : 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.


top