Srebarna Nature Reserve
Factors affecting the property in 2003*
- 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 2003
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 2003**
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 2003
WHC:
Following the findings of the mission to the site from 1 to 4 October 2001 presented to the 25th session of the Committee, the 26th session of the Committee decided that the site be removed from the List of World Heritage in 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. However, no information was received from the State Party despite reminder letters.
IUCN:
The approved action plan has not yet been submitted to the Centre, IUCN or the Ramsar Convention Secretariat for review. Following the recommendations of the UNESCO / IUCN / Ramsar Secretariat monitoring mission to the site in October 2001, the Committee at its 26th session, also recommended to the State Party to purchase a portable electric generator to ensure the rapid closure of the sluice gates in order to minimize the threats of contamination to the site from any potential future chemical spills in the Danube River at high water. No information is available on whether the State Party has taken any measures related to this issue. IUCN remains concerned about the efficiency of the current infrastructure to protect the site against possible toxic spills in the Danube River. IUCN recommends the Committee to urge the State Party to purchase a portable electric generator to enable rapid closure of the sluice gates in a potential emergency situation. The Committee may wish to encourage the State Party to seek technical assistance from the World Heritage Fund to purchase such equipment if required.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2003
27 COM 7A.10
Srebarna Nature Reserve (Bulgaria)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Notes that the management plan was submitted by the State Party on 25 June 2003;
2. Encourages the State Party to request, if necessary, technical assistance from the World Heritage Fund to urgently purchase a portable electric generator to enable rapid closure of the sluice gates in a potential emergency situation;
3. Urges the State Party to submit a calendar of activities for preparing a proposal for a transborder World Heritage area in the Danube Delta in co-operation with other concerned States Parties;
4. Decides to remove Srebarna Nature Reserve from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
5. Requests the State Party, IUCN and the World Heritage Centre to collaborate and discuss issues related to the implementation of the management plan and to provide a report by 1 February 2004 on the key management issues and in particular the results of the monitoring programme, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 28th session in 2004.
27 COM 8B.3
Properties removed from the 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-03/27.COM/7A),;
2. Decides to remove the following properties from the List of World Heritage in Danger:
- Srebarna Nature Reserve, Bulgaria (27 COM 7A.10)
- Natural & Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, Serbia and Montenegro (27 COM 7A.27)
- Yellowstone, United States of America (27 COM 7A.12)
Draft 27 COM 7 (a) 10
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Expresses concern about the lack of response from the State Party;
2. Encourages the State Party to request, if necessary, technical assistance from the World Heritage Fund to urgently purchase a portable electric generator to enable rapid closure of the sluice gates in a potential emergency situation;
3. Urges 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;
4. Decides to retain the Srebarna Nature Reserve on the List of World Heritage in Danger, until the State Party submits the approved management plan and a statement committing the necessary resources for its implementation.
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.
