Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba

• Destruction of several Sikien during the 2018 rainy season
• Management Plan/Management system (lack of human, material and financial resources, as well as insufficient legal and legislative frameworks; Management and Conservation Plan to be finalized and adopted)
• Emergence of new forms of modern construction and uncontrolled urbanization
• Deforestation

Total amount provided to the property: USD 21,471.5 for an emergency mission (see below) following the collapse of several Sikien (Heritage Emergency Fund); USD 202,298 from the Government of Norway for the period 2020-2022

On 2 February 2021, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1140/documents and informing that:

• The major threats to the site are natural disasters and the visual impact of modern constructions;
• The project “Improving the state of conservation of Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba” funded by Norway has inventoried and geolocated around 1,700 Sikien. The current data processing will make it possible to map the Sikien and determine their state of conservation;
• Intensive reforestation is planned by local authorities and the management team to combat deforestation;
• The intangible heritage is preserved, ensuring the integrity of the site, thanks to the safeguard and enhancement of customs and practices, and promotion and valorization activities;
• Community solidarity made it possible to restore several Sikien damaged in 2018. Also, a cross-border project financed by the World Monument Fund provided for the restoration of around thirty Sikien and the establishment of local monitoring committees in 2021;
• The decree of 17 May 2018 led to the creation of the Koutammakou Conservation and Promotion Service (SCPK), requiring the strenthening of human resources. The local management committee participates in conservation and awareness-raising activities;
• A workshop for the revision of the management plan was organized in December 2019. Its validation, including a risk management plan, is scheduled for 2021;
• Note N°0147/MCTL/CAB/SG/DPPCT of 20 March 2007 solicits the respect for traditional architecture for any architectural intervention on the site. It will be applied to the offices of the new town hall of Kéran 3 in Nadoba. Awareness-raising sessions are also conducted with the populations on this subject. A community museum conserving and exhibiting cultural objects of the Batammariba has been installed;
• A reflection is being carried out with the Ecole Africaine des Métiers de l’Architecture et de l’Urbanisme (EAMAU) and the Centre de la Construction et du Logement (CCL) to combine traditional architecture and improved local materials;
• Problems related to uncontrolled urbanization are noted in particular in the semi-urban area of Nadoba. To meet socio-economic needs, its city centre was proposed as a “tolerated zone” by the State Party in a report submitted to the Secretariat in 2011.

The efforts of the State Party and its partners to improve the state of conservation of the site since the bad weather of 2018 are to be welcomed and encouraged, in particular thanks to the funding from the Norwegian Government which has enabled inventory and mapping work and the site management plan review process. These documents, notably the management plan including a risk management plan, a conservation plan (procedures, practical guidelines, constructive cultures, traditional materials, construction systems, etc.) and a delimitation of the perimeter of the property and its buffer zone, must be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for examination by ICOMOS before their validation.

Awareness-raising and involvement of local communities within the framework of projects funded by Norway, the World Monument Fund and the African World Heritage Fund, the establishment of the community museum, activities for the preservation of intangible heritage or the restoration and preservation of Sikien, are also welcomed. However, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to provide further details on the extent of the restoration work.   

The creation of the SCPK is also positive. It is recommended that the State Party speed up the process to provide this service with adequate human and financial resources for the effective conservation, management and protection of the property.

The State Party's efforts to apply the provisions relating to architecture and town planning of Ministerial Decree N°0147/MCTL/CAB/SG/DPPCT, discussions with national technical partners (EAMAU and CCL) to ally traditional architecture with improved local materials, and reforestation activities, are welcomed. However, the continued emergence of new construction materials and forms and uncontrolled urbanization remain a concern. It is recommended that the State Party strengthen the actions undertaken and that the urban dimension of the property be fully reflected in the policies, measures and tools adopted for the conservation of the latter, drawing in particular on the Recommendation concerning the Historic Urban Landscape (2011). The second phase of the project funded at USD 100,000 by Norway should contribute to this reflection.

Due to COVID-19, the State Party was unable to invite the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM reactive monitoring mission in accordance with Decision 43 COM 7B.112. Given the increasing pressure from urban development in the vicinity of the property, the proposal to consider Nadoba city centre as a “tolerated zone” and the aim to define an internal buffer zone and an integrated urbanization system for the property, it is recommended that the Committee reiterates its request to the State Party to invite the mission to fully assess the state of conservation of the property. The mission should also  analyze the possible threat to OUV linked to the increasing urban pressure in and near the property and its possible impact on the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone, review the regulations intended to control this pressure and make recommendations to the Committee on the proposal to consider the city centre of Nadoba as a “tolerated zone”.

Lastly, given the proximity of the proposed new Kéran 3 town hall in Nadoba to the property, it is recommended, in accordance with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, that the State Party submit the architectural documents and projects to the World Heritage Centre for review by ICOMOS prior to authorization of construction.