Tipasa
Factors affecting the property in 2003*
- Financial resources
- Housing
- Human resources
- Illegal activities
- Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
- Interpretative and visitation facilities
- Legal framework
- Management activities
- Management systems/ management plan
- Other Threats:
Deterioration of the archaeological vestiges
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Earthquake (issue resolved)
- Urban Pressure
- Tourism Pressure
- Lack of capacity in conservation techniques
- Lack of management mechanism (including legislation)
- Lack of Presentation and interpretation
- Lack of human or financial resources
- Lack of institution coordination
- Looting/Theft
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2003
Total amount approved : 75,900 USD
| 2001 |
Elaboration d'un plan d'urgence et mise en oeuvre de ...
(Approved)
Reapproval: 22 Jan, 2002 (n°1487 - 26,260 USD)
|
35,500 USD |
| 1992 | Mission to advise on the elaboration of a urban Master ... (Approved) | 9,000 USD |
| 1991 | Purchase of topographic equipment for the site of Tipasa (Approved) | 3,000 USD |
| 1990 | Expert mission to advise the authorities on the ... (Approved) | 7,000 USD |
| 1990 | Consultants and equipment for urgent works on Tipasa ... (Approved) | 18,900 USD |
| 1989 | Contribution to a survey on the urban development of ... (Approved) | 2,500 USD |
Missions to the property until 2003**
July 1989: UNESCO expert mission; December 1989: UNESCO mission; March-April 1990: expert mission; October 1992: expert mission; February 2002: World Heritage Centre experts mission; September 2002: World Heritage Centre mission
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2003
WHC:
During a mission to Algeria in September 2002, staff from the Centre visited Tipasa and reviewed with local authorities the state of conservation of the site, further to the recommendations contained in the report of the previous Centre’s mission of February 2002. A meeting was also arranged in Algiers with the Minister of Culture, H.E. Ms Khalida Toumi, where the mission had the opportunity to clarify the implications of the inscription of the site on the List in Danger and raise the Minister’s awareness of the importance to act quickly to remedy the situation. The mission confirmed the observations made in February 2002, namely concerning the non-respect of the non edificandi zone within the buffer zone, the presence of over 100 families illegally installed within the perimeter of the site, the use of cement in conservation works, the lack of maintenance and the polluting effect of a sewerage crossing the site near the ancient Punic port. Concerning the legal protection of the site, the two existing instruments (Land Use Plan and Urban Development Plan) exert pressure on the site, as they do not take into account the special protection required by the fragile archaeological area, nor its actual limits. A Conservation and Presentation Plan (Plan de Sauvegarde et de Mise en Valeur, PSMV) for the archaeological site, initiated by the Ministry of Culture, was still inapplicable in the current legal framework, pending the finalization of the bylaws for the national antiquities Law adopted in 1998. In the face of these threats, the services of the Ministry of Culture were still clearly inadequate in terms of human and financial resources. The Centre’s mission produced a report, which listed, for the consideration of the Algerian authorities, what it considered the most urgent actions to undertake. These included:
· The immediate delimitation of the official perimeter of the World Heritage site and its buffer zone, based on the existing archaeological studies, and the issuing of a temporary official Decree freezing all constructions within these boundaries;
· The establishment of a plan, including a timeframe, to relocate approximately 100 families presently living within the site outside the perimeter of the property, in consultation with them and the local authorities;
· The strengthening of the human and financial resources of the local Inspectorate, possibly providing it with an annual operational budget (excluding staff and running costs) equivalent to 50,000 dollars;
· The repairing of the roofing of the storages, which are today in a critical state of conservation, and where important objects are kept.
· Urgent preventive conservation measures for mosaics and other exposed structures, including a more effective visitor control;
· The finalizing of the bylaws of the National Antiquities Law of 1998 and the quick elaboration and implementation of the PSMV, in consultation with the Centre, to replace the existing Urban Instruments.
In the medium term, the Centre’s mission recommended to develop a Management Plan along the lines provided in the technical reports prepared by the Centre’s consultants in 2002, including an effective mechanism to ensure the dialogue among the concerned stakeholders, the relocation of the families currently living within the World Heritage site, and consideration for landscape protection. In a letter dated 29 March 2003, moreover, the authorities informed the Centre that the bylaws concerning the application of the Antiquity Law of 1998 for archaeological sites had been prepared and would shortly be officially adopted. In the letter, the Algerian authorities also agreed to a proposal by the Centre to use the funds remaining from the International Assistance approved in 2001 to conduct a training seminar on the management of archaeological sites.
ICOMOS:
ICOMOS fully supports all the recommendations made by the Centre Mission and urges the State Party to implement them without delay.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2003
27 COM 7A.17
Tipasa (Algeria)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having noted the information provided by the World Heritage Centre following the mission to the property,;
2. Strongly encourages the Government of Algeria to take the necessary measures towards the swift implementation of the recommendations contained in the World Heritage Centre's report, and notably:
(a) The immediate delimitation of the official perimeter of the World Heritage property and its buffer zone, based on the existing archaeological studies, and the issuing of a temporary decree freezing all constructions within these boundaries,
(b)The establishment of a plan, including a timeframe, to relocate families presently living within the property, outside the perimeter of the property, in consultation with the interested parties and local authorities,
(c) The strengthening of the human and financial resources of the local Inspectorate, possibly providing it with an annual operational budget (excluding staff and running costs) equivalent to US$ 50,000,
(d) The repairing of the roofing of the storages, which are today in a critical state of conservation, and where important objects are kept,
(e) Urgent preventive conservation measures for mosaics and other exposed structures, including a more effective visitor control,
(f) The adoption of the bylaws of the National Antiquities Law of 1998 and the quick elaboration and implementation of the safeguarding and interpretation plan of the property to replace the existing urban instruments,
(g) The preparation, in the above framework, of a management plan for the property, also in consultation with the World Heritage Centre;
3. Expresses its appreciation to the State Party for the elaboration of new bylaws concerning the application of the 1998 Antiquity Law;
4. Requests the State Party to submit a report on progress achieved on the above recommendations to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2004 for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 28th session in 2004;
5. Decides to retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
27 COM 8B.2
Properties maintained on 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 maintain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
- Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, Afghanistan (27 COM 7A.21)
- Butrint, Albania (27 COM 7A.26 )
- Tipasa, Algeria (27 COM 7A.17)
- Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin (27 COM 7A.15)
- Angkor, Cambodia (27 COM 7A.22)
- Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, Central African Republic (27 COM 7A.12 )
- Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea (27 COM 7A.4)
- Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
- Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
- Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
- Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
- Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
- Sangay National Park, Ecuador (27 COM 7A.13)
- Abu Mena, Egypt (27 COM 7A.18)
- Simien National Park, Ethiopia (27 COM 7A.3)
- Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras (27 COM 7A.14)
- Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, India (27 COM 7A.9)
- Group of Monuments at Hampi, India (27 COM 7A.23)
- Old City of Jerusalem & its Walls (27COM7A.29)
- Timbuktu, Mali (27 COM 7A.16)
- Air & Ténéré Natural Reserves, Niger (27 COM 7A.5)
- Bahla Fort, Oman (27 COM 7A.19)
- Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan (27 COM 7A.242)
- Chan Chan Archaeological Zone, Peru (27 COM 7A.28)
- Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines (27 COM 7A.25)
- Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal (27 COM 7A.6)
- Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia (27 COM 7A.8)
- Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Uganda (27 COM 7A.7)
- Everglades National Park, United States of America (27 COM 7A.11)
- Historic Town of Zabid, Yemen (27 COM 7A.20)
Draft 27 COM 7 (a) 17
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having noted the information provided by the Centre following the mission to the site;
2. Strongly encourages the Government of Algeria to take the necessary measures towards the swift implementation of the recommendations contained in the Centre’s report, and notably:
- The immediate delimitation of the official perimeter of the World Heritage site and its buffer zone, based on the existing archaeological studies, and the issuing of a temporary official Decree freezing all constructions within these boundaries;
- The establishment of a plan, including a timeframe, to relocate approximately 100 families presently living within the site, outside the perimeter of the property, in consultation with the interested parties and local authorities;
- The strengthening of the human and financial resources of the local Inspectorate, possibly providing it with an annual operational budget (excluding staff and running costs) equivalent to US$ 50,000;
- The repairing of the roofing of the storages, which are today in a critical state of conservation, and where important objects are kept.
- Urgent preventive conservation measures for mosaics and other exposed structures, including a more effective visitor control;
- The official adoption of the bylaws of the National Antiquities Law of 1998 and the quick elaboration and implementation of the PSMV, in consultation with the Centre, to replace the existing Urban Instruments.
- The preparation, in the above framework, of a Management Plan for the site, also in consultation with the Centre.
3. Thanks the State Party for the elaboration of new bylaws concerning the application of the 1998 Antiquity Law;
4. Requests the State Party to submit a report on progress achieved on the above recommendations to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2004, for the consideration of the Committee at its 28th session of 2004.
5. Decides to retain the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Algeria
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.
