Maloti-Drakensberg Park

• Interpretative and visitation facilities: Need to improve presentation of cultural aspects, in particular the San rock art sites within the Environmental Centre
• Legal framework: Revisions, amendments and enactment of relevant laws pertinent to the property not yet finalized in Lesotho
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure, particularly a proposed cable car and a proposed petrol filling station within the property’s newly proposed buffer zone in South Africa
• Management activities: Continuation of a cautious approach to conservation interventions on rock art sites (except where rock art would otherwise become very fragile and vulnerable)
• Management systems/management plan: Need to strengthen the Lesotho heritage management, including adoption of a comprehensive management plan, annual budget allocation, risk preparedness and disaster response plan, monitoring indicators, staff training and transnational collaboration
• The buffer zones surrounding the property are not yet formalized
• Need for research and documentation to establish an inventory of rock art in Sehlabathebe National Park (issue resolved)
• Need for an assessment of the potential cultural contribution of other landscape elements to the cultural values of Sehlabathebe National Park (issue resolved)
• Renewable energy facilities: Proposed development of wind farms in areas neighboring the Sehlabathebe National Park (issue resolved)
• Oil and gas exploration: proposed shale gas, gas and oil exploration within the property’s newly proposed buffer zone in South Africa

Total amount granted: USD 50,000 in 2015 through the UNESCO World Heritage Sustainable Tourism programme (Flanders Funds-in-Trust); USD 40,000 in 2016-2017 for COMPACT community conservation programme (Netherlands Funds-in-Trust), USD 145,000 from the Government of Norway in 2020 for continued COMPACT activities

On 2 December 2020, the States Parties submitted a joint state of conservation on the property, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/985/documents/, reporting the following:

• The annual budget for the property includes support for staff training and community activities. In addition, a Community Management of Protected Areas Conservation Programme (COMPACT) continues at the property, with financial support from the Government of Norway to the World Heritage Fund;
• The Joint Management Plan of the property is still being finalized. It is confirmed that risk preparedness and disaster response planning will be incorporated into the Plan;
• The States Parties are awaiting the review of the management plans for fire, invasive alien species, cultural heritage and the sustainable tourism strategy;
• The State Party of South Africa has submitted a request for a Minor Boundary Modification to formalize the buffer zone to the south of the Sehlabathebe National Park in South Africa;
• The formal application for the proposed shale gas, gas and oil exploration within this buffer zone has not yet been received and hence no development has yet taken place. Similarly, there has been no development of the proposed cableway in South Africa. The State Party of South Africa confirms that Environmental and Heritage Impact Assessments (EIAs/HIAs) for these projects will be undertaken and submitted to the World Heritage Centre once they are available;
• Any conservation interventions for the rock art sites will be limited to addressing immediate and urgent vulnerabilities only;
• The appeal lodged by the management authority of the property in South Africa over the proposed petrol filling station in the buffer zone, was rejected. This was also confirmed through a State Party letter submitted to the World Heritage Centre on 30 September 2020, which also noted the State Party’s commitment to monitor the engagements to ensure the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is not compromised. The project has since been completed;
• The State Party of Lesotho commits to expediting the finalization of the Biodiversity Management Bill, which is undergoing final review.

The confirmation by the State Party of South Africa to undertake impact assessments for the two development proposals and for submitting them to the World Heritage Centre is appreciated. Recalling that the cableway is proposed in the immediate vicinity of the property and the exploration is within the property’s buffer zone, there is high potential for impacts on the OUV. It is therefore recommended that the State Party keep the World Heritage Centre informed of the progress and to ensure the impact assessments are undertaken in line with the ICOMOS and IUCN guidelines.

The continued efforts to finalize the Joint Management Plan and the Biodiversity Management Bill are appreciated but the significant delay is also notable. Considering that their completion has been pending for some time, every effort should be made to expedite the process to the extent possible. The continued confirmation by the States Parties that any conservation interventions for the rock art sites will be limited to addressing immediate and urgent vulnerabilities only is welcome.

It is recalled that the management authority of the property in South Africa in previous reports expressed its concerns for the visual and sense-of-place impacts of the petrol filling station in the buffer zone. The state of conservation report submitted by the States Parties does not provide any details and taking note that the project has now been completed, it is recommended that the Committee request the States Parties to provide information on how the potential impacts on the OUV of the property were mitigated during construction, and what measures are being applied during the operational phase to ensure the OUV continues to be protected.

The communication that the State Party of Lesotho is finalizing its Biodiversity Resources Management Bill, is welcome, and it is reminded that a copy of the final Bill is provided to the World Heritage Centre once it is approved.

The submission of a request for a Minor Boundary Modification is acknowledged, however, the World Heritage Centre has requested the States Parties to complement their request with a joint letter, ensuring that the request is endorsed by the two States Parties, in order to transfer it for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies.