Morne Trois Pitons National Park
Factors affecting the property in 2016*
- Renewable energy facilities
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Cable car construction project (issue resolved)
- Geothermal projects adjacent to the property
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2016
Total amount approved : 14,000 USD
| 2001 | Project for public awareness and education with special ... (Approved) | 5,000 USD |
| 1998 | Revision of the Management Plan for Morne Trois Pitons ... (Approved) | 9,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2016**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2016
The State Party did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property as requested by the World Heritage Committee.
On 6 November 2015, the State Party submitted to the World Heritage Centre, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Geothermal Wells Drilling in the Roseau Valley and its executive summary both prepared in 2013, as well as the EIA prepared for the Phase one (exploratory drilling of the project) in 2011.
On 14 December 2015, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party noting the need to urgently proceed with the organization of the joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission requested by the Committee at its 39th session. However, the letter also acknowledged the serious impact of the tropical storm Erika, which had occurred in Dominica, and in this regard, requested the State Party to clarify whether as a consequence of the storm it envisaged to postpone the mission. At the time of drafting this report, no response had yet been received from the State Party and nor any invitation for the mission.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2016
It is regrettable that the State Party did not invite the requested joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property and did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property. The ensuing lack of up to date information regarding the issues addressed by the Committee at its previous session does not enable an assessment of progress achieved in the implementation of its requests.
The EIA for the exploratory drilling phase of the geothermal project in the Roseau valley adjacent to the property and the EIA for the operational development phase of the project which comprises installation of a production platform and a geothermal fluid reinjection platform and drilling of geothermal production wells at two locations, are noted. The EIA of the production phase of the project states that “the potential drilling and geothermal energy production sites are not affected by any environmentally protected area”, despite their close proximity to Morne Trois Pitons National Park. However, neither of the provided EIAs assesses potential impacts of the geothermal project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property.
It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its requests to the State Party to provide additional information on the geothermal project, including an assessment of potential impacts on the OUV of the property, in line with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and to suspend the project until this information has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre and reviewed by IUCN. It is further recommended that the Committee also reiterate its request to the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to assess the current status of the project, the impacts of existing geothermal infrastructure and potential impacts of the planned Small Geothermal Power Plant on the OUV of the property.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2016
40 COM 7B.73
Morne - Trois Pitons National Park (Dominica) (N 814)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B.Add,
- Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.30, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
- Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by the Committee;
- Takes note of the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for exploration and production phases of the geothermal project in the Roseau Valley submitted by the State Party to the World Heritage Centre;
- Noting that the abovementioned EIAs do not include an assessment of potential impacts of the project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, reiterates its request to the State Party to prepare such an EIA, in line with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and urges again the State Party to suspend the geothermal project until the above mentioned EIA has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre, and reviewed by IUCN;
- Also reiterates its request to the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, to assess the impacts of existing geothermal infrastructure, and the current status of the geothermal project in the Roseau Valley and its potential impacts on the OUV of the property;
- Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session in 2017.
Draft Decision: 40 COM 7B.73
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B.Add,
- Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.30, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
- Regrets that the State Party did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the property, as requested by the Committee;
- Takes note of the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for exploration and production phases of the geothermal project in the Roseau Valley submitted by the State Party to the World Heritage Centre;
- Noting that the abovementioned EIAs do not include an assessment of potential impacts of the project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, reiterates its request to the State Party to prepare such an EIA, in line with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, and urges again the State Party to suspend the geothermal project until the above mentioned EIA has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre, and reviewed by IUCN;
- Also reiterates its request to the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, to assess the impacts of existing geothermal infrastructure, and the current status of the geothermal project in the Roseau Valley and its potential impacts on the OUV of the property;
- Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 Februay 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session in 2017.
Dominica
* :
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.
