Petra

• Heavy flooding in 1996 (issue resolved) 
• Insufficiency or non-existence of sewage disposal facilities (issue resolved) 
• Insufficient conservation of antiquities (issue resolved) 
• Impact of new hotels under construction in the vicinity of the World Heritage site of Petra
• Uncontrolled development of villages in the vicinity of the site
• Proliferation of shops
• Construction or road widening projects leading to the site
• Other encroachments upon the integrity of the site
• Lack of management plan for the property
• Lack of clear boundary delimitations

Total amount provided: USD 1 million from the Italian Fund-in-Trust

On 1 February 2015, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report and on 19 March 2015, additional supporting documents, which are available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/326/documents/. The report and documents provide detailed information on the on-going wide range of initiatives for the conservation, protection and management of the property. The report addresses in detail the concerns of the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013). At the invitation of the State Party, the World Heritage Centre undertook a mission to Petra, in February 2015, to discuss the progress achieved and the pending needs.

• Buffer Zone: the State Party undertook a comprehensive study to define the buffer zone for the property, which includes a Protected Area, subdivided in four out of which a No-Development Zone, in addition to five areas which include Eco-Tourism, Agricultural, Eco-Overlooking, Viewing Nodes, and a Petra Archaeological Park (PAP) Special Management Zone. Specific protection resources and legal instruments were allocated to each area. Consultations with local communities are underway to finalize the legal adoption of all the provisions related to the Buffer Zone.
• Disaster Risk Reduction Plan: in a UNDP supported project, “International Risk Assessment for the Petra Development and Tourism Region” (2013), the risks associated with potential earthquakes, flash floods, landslides and rock fall were assessed. In 2014, a Flash Flood Study was carried out following which an Early Warning System (EWS) for flash floods was considered a priority. The Siq Stability Monitoring Project implemented by UNESCO Amman has allowed the installation of monitoring reference points throughout the Siq to ensure accurate measurements and allow risk mitigation decisions. The project provided GIS training for PAP and Department of Antiquities (DoA) surveyors. The Siq stability is a major concern and rock falling incidents continue.
• The Petra Conservation Action Plan, adopted in December 2014, annexed to the report, has been developed building on the numerous studies undertaken on Petra in the past years; it sets the strategies and the priorities to conservation needs in particular with regards to imminent risks, and outlines the limited financial resources available to address them. The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) and the DoA have strengthened working relationships and launched a series of initiatives inserted within the (PAP) Operational Priorities Plan (2010-2015). The Site Management Plan will be developed with the support of UNESCO Amman.
• A Visitor management strategy was developed as a reference to articulate actions on the core functional areas of the Park, with a particular focus on conservation, protection, visitor experience, services, facility operations, maintenance and management, while New bylaws were adopted in July 2014 setting the legal framework for the PAP operations, related to governance, protection, and tourism management, and a division of roles and responsibilities between PAP and DoA.
• The State Party also provides information on capacity building and training initiatives, newly recruited staff.

The State Party reports on various other matters, such as: Archaeological database and regulations for the archaeological investigations, conservation works and studies at the Temple of Winged Lions, the ad-Deir Plateau, and the Wadi al-Jarra, awareness raising for better animal treatment, the planned construction of the Petra Back Road Project including an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), the Petra Museum Project, the Um Sayhoun Local Development Centre, and a study on the Um Sayhoun community, as well as a tourism and local development project entitled Petra Cultural Heritage Village Phase 2: Conceptual Master Plan.

The State Party has achieved considerable progress in addressing the World Heritage Committee concerns at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013). In particular, the State Party has adopted a conservation action plan, which is being reviewed by the Advisory Bodies. It has also improved the coordination between PDTRA and DoA.

Nevertheless, and in view of the important challenges and tasks that lie ahead, there is still need to develop a comprehensive Management Plan for the property, including priority capacity building needs with the necessary resources to address them, and ensure the official endorsement of this Management Plan by the governing bodies. The visitor management strategy, including regulations for public use, in consideration of the carrying capacity of the property, is still awaited.

The efforts of the State Party to envisage the challenges faced by Petra in an integrated manner, at the level of the territory taking into account social and economic concerns, are important. Indeed, the scale of the PAP entails an integrated regional plan and sustainable local development policies. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to pursue this integrated approach, to opt for in depth-feasibility studies and projects prior to implementation, and to urgently allocate appropriate resources to an equitable solution for the livelihood of the Um Sayhoun Community, which was evicted from the property. 

The buffer zone and its related local regulations shall be submitted in their final version and in accordance with the required format to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies. Special attention should be given to refrain from building new constructions within the No-Development Zone, as is the case today with the planned extension of a Hotel, according to information that the World Heritage Centre was given by the State Party during its February 2015 mission, and to avoid urban encroachment, as observed by the mission in the Um Sahyoun Village. It is recommended that the World Heritage Committee request the State Party to refrain from further constructions in the vicinity of the site, and submit all final construction and development plans prior to launching any construction procedures, in particular with regards to the final construction plans of the Petra Back Road Project and the Petra Museum.