Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape

Factors identified at the time of inscription in 2016:

• Need to strengthen the legal protection status of the property and to extend the property to include all attributes of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV)
• Inadequate management plan and lack of management authority
• Need for a zonation which allows full protection of the key areas for biodiversity
• Need to guarantee the full participation of the local communities and of their traditional authorities in the management of the property

On 9 January 2020, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1475/documents/. The report provides very little new information compared to the previous report and is summarized as follows:

• In 2019, a new law (n°018/PR/2018 of 10 January) was passed on the protection of cultural heritage, which provides the legal framework for the Natural and Cultural Reserve of Ennedi (RNCE) established in 2016;
• In 2018, a new Directorate for Heritage and Management of inscribed sites (Direction du patrimoine et de gestion des sites classes) was established;
• Since its inscription, the property has not faced imminent threats and local management continues effectively with the participation of local communities, the local management committee, traditional owner organisations and civil society;
• A local intelligence system was developed via the local management committee;
• A good collaboration exists between the defence and security forces of the two provinces of the property to monitors possible offences;
• The partnership with the African Parks Network (APN) will establish an integrated RNCE monitoring system, including a brigade of 50 ecoguards to patrol the protected area and improve management, with a second brigade of 25 ecoguards for reactive support;
• The 2016 APN camera-trap survey data on human-wildlife interaction at water points will be used to inform the potential development of future wildlife viewing tourism;
• Management committees have been established for the four tourist sites of Guelta d’Archeï, Guelta de Bachikélé, Aloba and Terkey;
• Collaboration with local populations is reported as effective for the management of poaching, and firewood;
• A five-year business plan for the management of the RNCE contributes to strengthen the co-conservation and management of the property.

The State Party provides little new information on the state of conservation of the property or on the actions taken to implement the requests of the Committee at the time of inscription (Decision 40 COM 8B.15). It is important to recall that the 2016 Advisory Bodies evaluation of the nomination considered the nomination premature for inscription because the property did not meet the protection and management requirements of the Operational Guidelines, the need to further document attributes under criterion (ix) and the fact that the proposed boundaries were considered inadequate to protect all attributes of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). 

While the adoption of the 2019 Law on the protection of cultural heritage and the creation of the Directorate is a positive step, its implication for overall management remains unclear and the State Party has not provided any information on the request by the Committee to further improve the protection status of the property and to undertake a comprehensive review of legislative arrangements. The State Party also provides no information on progress towards the development of a strategy to establish a detailed botanical inventory of the site, to identify all important refugia and areas for relict flora that may further justify the application of Criterion (ix), or on the requested extension of the property to include and adequately protect all attributes of the OUV. The State Party has still to submit the detailed report of the extent of the damage and measures taken to rehabilitate affected rock art sites surveyed in 2017 requested by the Committee in 2018 (Decision 42 COM 7B.64). The foreseen establishment of an integrated ecoguard monitoring and patrol brigade was already reported by the State Party in 2017.

The local intelligence system and new defense and provincial security force collaboration are important steps to improve monitoring, surveillance and compliance for the property. It is noted that the State Party reports no imminent threat to the property since inscription and that local indigenous management continues to be effective, however it is important to recall that the 2016 evaluation considered management at the time of inscription to be inadequate and stressed the importance to complement this traditional management system with a more formal management system. The overall management framework remains unclear and no recommended additional documentation of traditional management systems is reported.  The State Party provides no information on the request of the Committee to provide a revised Management Plan for the whole property meeting the international standards, which should clarify the management responsibilities of the new system in coordination with the traditional management, spell out management operations to conserve the World Heritage values, include a zonation, which allows full protection of the key areas for biodiversity, details the measures foreseen to address the main potential threats, guarantees the full participation of the local communities and of their traditional authorities in the management of the property and clarifies the institutional management regime of the property and provides a detailed staffing and budget consistent with the effective implementation of the required management. The State Party report mentions a 5-year business plan prepared by APN for the area, which facilitates the management of the property, but provides no further details on its content.

It is important that potential plans to establish future wildlife and cultural tourism should be carefully considered in the context of the OUV of the property. It is recalled that tourism pressure was considered by the 2016 evaluation to be limited, but likely to increase with potential to cause impacts on the sensitive environment of the Ennedi and induce changes in the traditional socio-economic structures. Tourism development should be addressed in a strategic and integrated manner as part of the overall management of the property.

It is recommended that the Committee express its regret on the lack of information provided by the State Party in addressing the outstanding concerns raised at the time of inscription (Decision 40 COM 8B.15) and in 2018 (Decision 42 COM 7B.64), These issues should be addressed urgently to ensure an adequate protection of the OUV of the property.