Lower Valley of the Omo

• Erosion and siltation/ deposition
• Development projects
• Housing
• Industrial areas
• Land conversion
• Absence of established boundary

Total amount granted: 400,000 euros from European Union (project launched in 2016)

On 28 November 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/documents/180126, which presents the current situation in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its 42nd session, as follows:

• Details on the ancillary development activities near the property linked to the main project have been indicated in a map submitted in 2018. Due to the reduction of the size of Karaz Sugar Development Project (KSDP), the number of the associated factories are reduced and road networks decreased. Only 300 ha of land are designated for the construction of factories and camps. 1.076 houses are built and 2.610 Kilometre access roads will be constructed;
• In view of a major decision to hand over the KSDP to private sector, a new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been commissioned and its report in expected is January 2020. The State Party has requested an extension of the timeline for the submission of the EIA over KSDP;
• With the outcome of the new EIA, the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) conducted in 2017 will be augmented and updated;
• Concerning the proposal for boundaries being carried out under EU-funded project, the State Party is working towards the creation of the cadastre system and digital maps of the property and its buffer zone to be submitted for approval;
• A draft Management Plan (developed under EU-funded project) has been submitted in 2019 for which feedback has been provided. The State Party is currently in the process of integrating the feedback received in in November 2019 from the Advisory Bodies and finalising the Plan.

With regard to the details of the ancillary development activities requested by the Committee, the State Party refers to the detailed map provided in 2018 and suggests that the project will have less impact on the World Heritage Site because from 100 000 ha of the KSDP only 42 000ha of the project is located near the Site. In addition, the scope of the of KSDP and the number of the associated factories have been reduced and finally the 300 ha of land for construction are very far (35 Km) from the Site with a buffer zone area free of industrial activities. But no further details have been provided such as the alignment of the feeder roads and how these relate to the property and its setting. The Impact of these activities cannot be assessed without these details and outcome of the EIA and the updated and augmented HIA. 

Instead of revisiting/improving the EIA and the HIA, as requested by the Committee, the State Party has instituted a completely new EIA. This has been based on a new strategic decision taken by the government to hand over the Sugar Plantation project to the private sector. With this major change in mind, and prior to transmission of the project to the private sector, the government has commissioned a new and comprehensive Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) from an independent consultant. This report, which was due end of January 2020, is yet to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies. In this regard, the State Party of Ethiopia makes no reference to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which was to assess potential impacts of the Gibe III dam and Kuraz project on the Lake Turkana basin, for which, the State Party of Kenya informed the World Heritage Centre by letter of 23 June 2017 that the SEA would not be ready by the February 2018 deadline, as requested in Decision 39 COM 7B.4. It has given however assurances that no new activities will be carried out until the EIA is completed. Pending the outcome of this review, the State Party has also delayed the update and augmentation of the HIA submitted earlier on which ICOMOS has provided a technical review in 2017.  It is recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to provide these details without further delay. 

Although the State Party has made some progress with regard to the boundaries, it is regrettable that a draft proposal has not been completed and submitted for review, as requested by the Committee. It is reported that a buffer zone, free of ancillary development activities has been created between the property and the development activities in the area, but no details have been provided as to its scope and extent and these cannot be precisely defined in advance of the property boundaries being finalised and approved.

Progress has been made with regard to the development of the Management Plan and a draft was submitted in 2019, on which the State Party received a feedback in November 2019. It is recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to finalise the Management Plan taking into consideration the feedback provided and start its implementation.

Although the last two Committee decisions (41 COM 7B.68 and 42 COM 7B.44) did not address the issue of the Strategic Impact Assessment (SEA) to assess the potential impact of KSDP and its development activities on the Lake Turkana basin, requested from the States Parties of Ethiopia and Kenya since 2012 (Decisions 36 COM 7B.3, 39 COM 7B.4 and 40 COM 7B.80), it is regrettable that the State Party has not provided any information. It is important that the States Parties of Ethiopia and Kenya are continuing their dialogue to undertake this long-overdue SEA, without further delay.