Island of Saint-Louis

• Lack of a site manager (Issue resolved)
• Lack of monitoring and control mechanism
• Lack of a conservation and management plan (existence of a Safeguarding and Enhancement Plan serving as a Conservation and Management Plan)
• New constructions, architectural modifications and urban projects affecting authenticity and integrity
• Inappropriate housing restoration
• Environmental disorder due to the modification of the mouth of the Senegal River
• Extremely poor state of conservation of numerous derelict buildings endangering occupants

Total amount granted: USD 192,697.13 from the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement

On 19 December 2020, the State Party submitted a 2019 State of conservation report after having provided a progress report on 2 March 2020 – both reports are available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/956/documents/ – providing the following information:

• The Tourism Development Programme (PDT) which is financed by the French Development Agency (AFD) and carries out most of the rehabilitation work on public and private heritage as well as public squares and wharves, has been extended until 2023;
• The rehabilitation of the Cathedral has been completed, and the keys were officially handed over to the Diocese of Saint-Louis by the Minister of Culture on 8 October 2020. A complete technical file of the work carried out was provided;
• The refurbishment works of the Place Faidherbe, renamed Place Baya-Ndar, and the Avenue Jean Mermoz are underway. They aim to create a pedestrian square with landscaping, walking and rest areas, and an extension to the Place Pointe à Pitre (see last PDT quarterly report attached hereto as Annex 2);
• The rehabilitation of the Rogniat Sud and its reallocation to Culture (regional cultural centre, public library, commercial art galleries, agora, etc.) have been included in the programme and entrusted to a consultancy firm;
• In view of rehabilitating the private built heritage, several studies and workshops on the architectural units (AU) in danger were carried out and meetings with owners were organized to complete the inventory of endangered public buildings previously drawn up and to confirm a list of priority housing units. A priority phase aimed at rehabilitating 16 AUs is underway and should be completed in September 2021;
• The state of dereliction of the wharves and embankments is worrying. A consultancy firm has already been contracted to carry out studies for seven months and complete the works that are scheduled to last 18 months;
• Regarding the rehabilitation work of the Heritage House, scheduled for completion in 2020, an updated technical study was deemed necessary to supplement the study carried out in 2015. A new tender process has been initiated and a company should be selected in June 2021 with the completion of the works scheduled for June 2022;
• As part of the integrated Senegalese coastal management programme, impact studies initiated in the framework of World Bank and AFD projects to combat coastal erosion and protect the Langue de Barbarie are still underway but access to these studies is difficult due to a lack of coordination between ministerial departments. The World Bank project plans to rehouse 6,000 families affected by coastal erosion along the Langue de Barbarie;
• The regional commission has continued its site visits and has issued four summonses;
• The State of Senegal has asked the PDT to carry out rehabilitation studies of the Governor’s Palace which is progressively deteriorating;
• As part of the PDT, eight dump trucks will be purchased to collect waste.

The report submitted by the State Party, along with the report submitted in February 2020, shows that that many projects are now at a more or less advanced stage of implementation which reflects the strong dynamics at work on the property. Several projects are to be welcomed, notably the rehabilitation of the Cathedral and the Heritage House, the inventory of the private built heritage, and the improvement of the governance of the property, in particular through the creation of a regional commission, which is now the only authority empowered to examine building and rehabilitation permits and modifications.

The February 2020 report had already indicated that efforts regarding good governance were continuing and mentioned regular meetings between the various stakeholders and a clear distribution of responsibilities between the different actors. However, lengthy administrative procedures, exacerbated by the lack of coordination between ministerial departments, remains an obstacle to obtaining information on the integrated project for the management of Senegal's coastline and consequently the coordination of actions. Similarly, the Safeguarding and Enhancement Plan of Saint-Louis (PSMV) is above all a planning document intended to ensure the safeguarding and enhancement of remarkable heritage sites, but it does not meet the requirements of a management plan. Today, it is strongly recommended that the State Party elaborate a real Management and Conservation Plan, which could include risk management and an updated action plan, and further formalize participatory coordination at the community level. The efforts of good governance have been noted and should be pursued, notably through the operationalization of the Heritage House, considered a pivotal point in the safeguarding and enhancement of the heritage and a guarantee of the sustainability of the management and conservation efforts undertaken by the State Party.

The efforts made to rehabilitate the private built heritage following its inventory, along with the monitoring of building and modification permits, the summonses and the financing mechanism, are significant and commendable. A socio-economic survey of the Island of Saint-Louis, carried out within the framework of the PDT, is also appreciated. It aims to provide a thorough analysis of the situation of the owners and a land ownership and succession survey in order to establish eligibility for subsidies under the Programmed Housing Improvement Operation (OPAH). However, the acceleration of rehabilitation, constructions and modifications projects require a regular update of the inventory and continuous illustrated documentation, for a better appreciation of the ongoing developments and transformations in progress. The efforts undertaken by the State Party to make the SINDAR database more operational are commendable and should be extended to allow the monitoring of works and to appreciate their impact on the property. Since exactions in construction and modification projects remain a concern, regular monitoring along with site visits should be reinforced, as well as wide communication to the island's inhabitants on heritage prerogatives, the regulations in place and support measures.

Similarly, although the development of the former Place Faidherbe and Avenue Jean Mermoz is intended to further enhance the property, the measures to close the Place Faidherbe to traffic are highly likely to divert and increase the density of traffic to other parts of the island, particularly on the wharves, which are not designed to support such pressure and whose structure could be weakened. Although well intentioned, this could greatly affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and it is regrettable that the State Party has not submitted the development projects with an analysis of their impact on the heritage for examination by the Advisory Bodies prior to their implementation, in accordance with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines and Decision 43 COM 7B.110. It is recommended that an impact study be carried out for the project implemented on the former Place Faidherbe. This study could focus in particular on the pedestrianization of the square and its effect on traffic throughout the island and in particular on the wharves. Mitigation measures may need to be proposed. Finally, the State Party should be reminded of the need to submit any major project to the World Heritage Centre for technical review by the Advisory Bodies.

It is noted that the State Party was able to provide information on the rehabilitation and extension project of the Grand Mosque, as previously requested by the Committee, which had expressed concern about the construction of new imposing minarets and had recommended that the architectural part of the project be adjusted to comply with the regulations in force in the Safeguarding and Enhancement Plan of Saint-Louis (PSMV). However, this information is general and should be completed by plans and sections of the project and by an analysis of its impact on the authenticity of the property. It is noted that according to the State Party, only one minaret would be built instead of the four initially planned.

Finally, during a meeting with the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and IUCN on 28 January 2021, the gas and oil company BP presented the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project planned in Senegal and Mauritania, notably off the coast of Saint-Louis, and its possible impact on the property. The meeting addressed the actions planned for the implementation of the project as well as some related issues, such as maritime traffic, coastal erosion studies, the relation with the Senegalese Integrated Coastal Management Programme, and the impact on other World Heritage properties in the area. Considering the proximity of this project to the property, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to submit the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Advisory Bodies.

The analysis of the two reports makes it clear that the property is in an important and comprehensive transformation phase, which represents both a great opportunity for its conservation as well as potential risks to its OUV. Therefore, it is recommended that the State Party invite a World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Reactive Monitoring mission to review the state of conservation of the property, the implementation of the recommendations of the 2017 mission, and the impact of the various projects on the property.