Srebarna Nature Reserve
Factors affecting the property in 2002*
- Financial resources
- Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
- Management systems/ management plan
- Water (extraction)
- Water infrastructure
- Other Threats:
Loss of biodiversity
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Upstream Iron Gates dam
- Deterioration of the water quality (issue resolved)
- Impact of upstream pig farms (issue resolved)
- Loss of biodiversity
- Cyanide spill in the Danube River (issue resolved)
- Need to finalize the Management Plan
- Improve the transborder cooperation with other States Parties sharing the Danube River
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2002
Total amount approved : 41,000 USD
| 1999 | Training workshop on "Srebarna Nature Reserve - core ... (Approved) | 8,000 USD |
| 1998 | Assistance to the renovation of the exposition of the ... (Not approved) | 0 USD |
| 1994 | Purchase of equipment for the measurement and ... (Approved) | 19,000 USD |
| 1994 | Training workshop in Srebarna Nature Reserve (Approved) | 14,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2002**
1992: 2 IUCN missions; October 1998: World Heritage centre / IUCN / Ramsar mission; October 2001: joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN / Ramsar mission; February 2002: UNESCO/IUCN mission
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2002
Following the findings of the mission to the site from 1 to 4 October 2001 presented to the 25th session of the Committee, the Committee invited the State Party to finalize the management plan and confirm its adoption by the Government and to submit a calendar of activities for preparing a proposal for a transborder World Heritage area in the Danube Delta in cooperation with other concerned States Parties to the Convention. The Committee decided to remove Srebarna from the List of World Heritage Danger, effective from the date at which the State Party submits to the Centre, IUCN and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, a copy of the approved management plan for the site and a letter committing core resources for the timely and effective implementation of the plan.
By letter dated 14 December 2001 the Ministry of Environment and Water informed the Centre that the Action Plan for Srebarna Nature Reserve has been approved by order NP-958 of 11 December 2001.
In February 2002, during an UNESCO/IUCN mission to review the status of conservation of the Pirin National Park and another World Heritage site of Bulgaria, the situation of Srebarna was also updated. A toxic spill during high water conditions of the Danube was threatening Srebarna and the mission alerted the authorities to the urgent acquisition of a suitable portable electric generator to enable Park staff to rapidly close the sluice gates to protect the site from possible catastrophic contamination and rapid destruction of World Heritage values. The mission noted that at its last session, the Committee had already made a recommendation for urgent purchase of such equipment and invited the State Party to submit, if necessary, an international assistance request for consideration under the Fund. In her letter dated 29 March 2002 the Minister of Environment and Water confirmed that she would be requesting the recommended assistance. So far no request has been received.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2002
26 COM 21A.1
Srebarna Nature Reserve (Bulgaria)
The World Heritage Committee,1. Invites the State Party to shortly finalize the management plan and confirm its adoption by the Government and to submit a calendar of activities for preparing a proposal for a transborder World Heritage area in the Danube Delta in cooperation with other concerned States Parties;
2. Urges the State Party to take necessary action to purchase the portable electric generator to ensure the rapid closing of the sluice gates as and when needed and to minimize the risks of contamination from any future toxic spills;
3. Recommends that the site be removed from the List of World Heritage Danger, effective from the date at which the State Party submits to the Centre, IUCN and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, a copy of the approved management plan, and a statement committing the necessary resources for the timely implementation of the plan.The Committee may wish to adopt the following decision:
"The Committee reiterates its request to invite the State Party to shortly finalize the management plan and confirm its adoption by the Government and to submit a calendar of activities for preparing a proposal for a transborder World Heritage area in the Danube Delta in cooperation with other concerned States Parties to the Convention. The Committee recommends that the site be removed from the List of World Heritage Danger, effective from the date at which the State Party submits to the Centre, IUCN and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, a copy of the approved management plan for the site supported by a statement from the State Party committing the necessary resources for the timely implementation of the plan. The Committee furthermore encourages the State Party to take necessary action to purchase the portable electric generator to enable Park staff to rapidly close the sluice gates as and when needed in order to minimize the risks of contamination from future toxic spills”.
BulgariaExports
* :
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.
