iSimangaliso Wetland Park

• Land conversion
• Management systems/ management plan
• Mining
• Lack of institution coordination

Additional Details:
Conflicting land use 

The World Heritage Centre sent letters to the State Party on 13 November 2017, 12 November 2018, 4 March 2019, 3 September 2019, 23 October 2019 and 16 February 2021 requesting information related to the reported clearing and burning of swamp forest in the property, prospective mineral mining activities, impact of water use on Lake Sibaya, granting of an environmental authorization for proposed offshore exploration drilling and the artificial breaching of the sand barrier separating the Lake St. Lucia.

These issues were the subject of several consultation meetings between the World Heritage Centre, IUCN and the State Party. In follow-up, the State Party submitted reports in May 2019, December 2019, June 2020 and March 2021 (available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/914/documents/), which provide the following information:

• The management authority has formally objected to the application for prospective mining activities lodged within the kwaSokhulu Area, located outside of the property, and is awaiting a response from the Department of Minerals and Energy. No mining is allowed in protected areas in South Africa. Objection was also raised against the proposed offshore exploration drilling some 75 km from the property. The State Party commits to keeping the World Heritage Committee informed of these two proposals;
• The management authority is commissioning scientific assessments on the impact on the water resources of Lake Sibaya, including use of water resources and pesticides. Measures currently taken include a moratorium on issuing of licenses for commercial forestry, which are requiring vast amounts of water. Work is also underway to establish a buffer zone for the property as a tool, to identify and mitigate/abate such negative impacts;
• At least 92 ha of swamp forest in the Sondwana Bay area inside the property have been cleared by local communities for subsistence agriculture. In response, several meetings have been organized with communities, land claimants and traditional and local authorities. In 2021, no new clearance has been observed, possibly linked to the exceptionally wet season;
• While in its May 2019 report, the State Party noted that artificial breaching of the St. Lucia Estuary mouth to the Indian would be contrary to the efforts to allow the ecological restoration of the Lake St. Lucia estuarine system, in its February 2021 report, the State Party confirms that an assisted breach was implemented on 6 January 2021 with a channel being excavated. Following objections raised by scientists, the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries commissioned an independent Panel of Experts who will review all the relevant studies, recommendations and decisions taken in relation to the breaching.

It is recalled that human-induced changes in the catchments, upstream water abstraction and agricultural practices were already of concern to the integrity of the property at the time of the property’s inscription in 1999.

The clearing and burning of swamp forest for subsistence agriculture within the property is of great concern, as this not only destroys the forest vegetation, but also involves digging irrigation trenches and draining the land. The activities are reported to be the result of a conflict with local communities, and the efforts of the State Party to resolve this issue through dialogue are appreciated. However, ecological restoration of these areas will be complicated. It is therefore important that further damage does not take place. While it is positive that no further burning of vegetation has taken place since December 2020, this might be linked to the exceptionally wet conditions due to abundant rainfall. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to continue monitoring the situation, and in particular to continue its dialogue with the local communities to resolve outstanding issues and ensure that no further damage to the forests of the property takes place.

The significant drop in average water levels in Lake Sibaya since the time of inscription is also concerning. Lake Sibaya is the largest and deepest natural freshwater lake in the property and has a unique relict estuarine fauna, which is an important attribute of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). As mentioned in the State Party report, the drop in water level is linked to water abstraction but also the increase of commercial Eucalyptus plantations in the vicinity of the property. The reported efforts to develop a holistic approach to mitigating the water loss in Lake Sibaya system in consultation with all stakeholders is welcomed.

The artificial breaching of the mouth of the St. Lucia Estuary in January 2021 is a serious and complex matter and raises concerns. The hydrological and ecological functioning of Lake St. Lucia has been subject to major historical modification but in recent decades, the focus has been on restoring its natural estuarine functioning. It is recalled that the property’s Integrated Management Plan and its Estuarine Management Plans since 2012 foresee hydrological restoration by allowing the uMfolozi River to follow its natural path back into the St. Lucia estuary and implement a policy of minimum interference in the estuarine system to facilitate as much natural functioning as possible. The multi-disciplinary study on Lake St. Lucia commissioned by the management authority under the Global Environment Fund (GEF) project, recommended that artificial breaching of the system should be stopped, and emphasized the need for natural hydrological and ecological restoration. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN therefore note that the decision to breach the mouth of the St. Lucia Estuary is departing from the management plan and scientific advice. In this regard, the State Party’s decision to commission an independent Panel of Experts to review all the relevant studies, recommendations and decisions taken in relation to the breaching of Lake St. Lucia Estuary mouth is welcomed. It is recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to ensure that the work of this Panel be guided by the objective of protecting the OUV of the property.

The objections raised by the management authority against prospective mining activities outside the property, and the offshore exploratory drilling are appreciated.