Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou
Factors affecting the property in 2002*
- Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
- Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
- Management systems/ management plan
- Society's valuing of heritage
- Other Threats:
This site has progressively become degraded
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Abandonment of the site and progressive deterioration
- Lack of management plan
- Legal protection of the site
- Infrastructure and Tourism Development projects
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2002
Total amount approved : 2,500 USD
| 2001 | Installation of Plaques and Publication of Leaflets to ... (Approved) | 2,500 USD |
Missions to the property until 2002**
August 2000: World Heritage Centre expert mission; October-November 2002: joint UNESCO/UNDP mission
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2002
As requested by the Committee at its 25th session, the State Party submitted, in February 2002, a report on the progress on the implementation of the recommendations made in a report dated August 2000, including:
· The completion of the listing process for the site, under the National Heritage Law, including the private properties therein;
· The strengthening of the capacities of the CERKAS, the institution responsible for the safeguarding of the site;
· The creation of a management commission for the site;
· The establishment of a working team to elaborate a Management Plan, to be completed by end 2001.
The report explains that significant steps have been undertaken towards the listing of the site, but that this has not been completed to this day, owing to the complex administrative procedures required.
With respect to the strengthening of the CERKAS, the State Party informed the Centre that efforts are being made to grant this institution the status of SEGMA (Service Gere de Maniere Autonome). Such a status would in the future enable the CERKAS to be remunerated in exchange of technical services to public administrations, thus contributing to its financial capacity. An Inter-Ministerial Site Management Commission has indeed been established and, according to the report, meets every fifteen days to discuss the state of conservation of the site and measures to be carried out. This Commission, which includes representatives from most of the institutions concerned, both at the national and local level, has promoted a series of studies and actions, carried out by the relevant bodies, including water and electrical infrastructure projects; public septic tanks; the construction of parking lots next to the road leading to the site; water-proofing and plastering of the houses and paving of streets within the ksar; the construction of a bridge linking the two banks of the Uadi; and the setting up of a tourism development pilot project.
No information was provided on the establishment of a working team in charge of the preparation of a Management Plan, nor on the schedule for its execution and implementation.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2002
26 COM 21B.61
Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou (Morocco)
The World Heritage Committee,1. Thanks the State Party for its commitment towards the rehabilitation of this World Heritage site, shown by the numerous initiatives undertaken under the thrust of the Site Management Commission;
2. Expresses its concern at the launching of a series of important infrastructure projects at the site while the listing procedure is not yet completed, and especially in the absence of an adequate management plan prepared according to recognized international scientific standards, as well as of a management structure capable of ensuring the overall technical coordination and the monitoring of the various initiatives;3. Reiterates its request to the Moroccan authorities to adopt, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, the necessary measures for the creation of a technical team and the preparation of a management plan and, to this end, encourages the State Party to apply for international assistance through the World Heritage Fund;
4. Requests the State Party to submit, by 1 February 2003, a report on the progress accomplished, for examination at its 27th session in June/July 2003.The Committee may wish to adopt the following decision:
“The Committee thanks the State Party for its commitment towards the rehabilitation of this World Heritage site, shown by the numerous initiatives undertaken under the thrust of the Site Management Commission. However, the Committee expresses its concern at the launching of a series of important infrastructure projects at the site while the listing procedure is not yet completed, and especially in the absence of an adequate Management Plan prepared according to recognized international scientific standards, as well as of a Management Structure capable of ensuring the overall technical coordination and the monitoring of the various initiatives. The Committee, therefore, reiterates its request to the Moroccan authorities to adopt, in consultation with the World Heritage Centre, the necessary measures for the creation of a technical team and the preparation of such a Management Plan and, to this end, encourages the State Party to apply for International Assistance through the World Heritage Fund. The Committee requests the State Party to submit, by 1 February 2003, a report on the progress accomplished, for examination by the Bureau at its 27th session.”
Morocco
* :
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.
