Banc d'Arguin National Park

• Management systems/management plan: Lack of adequate management systems/management plan
• Human Resources/ Financial Resources: Insufficient management capacity and resources
• Illegal fishing/collecting aquatic resources: Illegal fishing and Mechanical shellfish harvesting
• Marine Transport Infrastructure
• Effects arising from use of transportation infrastructure: Tourism and increased accessibility due to the new Nouadhibou-Nouakchott road
• Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation
• Housing
• Illegal activities
• Mining
• Oil and gas: Oil exploitation
• Renewable energy facilities

Total amount granted: USD 150,000 in the framework of the World Heritage Centre's Marine Programme

On 31 January 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/506/documents, which provides the following information:

• The 2020-2024 development and management plan has been finalized and submitted with this report;
• Faced with the impacts of sea level rise and erosion that threaten several villages, the State Party wishes to reconsider its previous decision not to relocate the villages concerned;
• The prohibition of selachian fishing, the control of boats and the limitation of transformation wells remain objectives. Selachian catches have not exceeded 1,000 t/year since 2014, but fishing is intensifying in the property;
• In accordance with the recommendation of the strategic environmental and social assessment on the development of the city of Chami, an Urban Development Master Plan has been established. The State Party undertakes that any development will be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and has relocated the artisanal gold mining site of Chami 30 km to the east;
• A request for support from the International Maritime Organization was renewed to analyze the navigation risks in addition to the feasibility study to list the property as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA);
• Shell has surrendered its exploration permit for offshore oil Block C-19;
• The terms of reference of the EIA for prospecting the Mauritanian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) were revised following the comments of the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, and it has been carried out according to international standards;
• The State Party monitors the level of the water tables of the Tasiast Tasiast mine catchment and will commission a strategic hydrological study;
• Avian influenza has not been observed in the property and monitoring means were put in place in 2021;
• The potential addition of a criterion through the submission of a new nomination dossier was discussed on 10 February 2022 during a meeting between the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
• Given the intensification of its actions to preserve the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and address threats, the State Party would like to exit the reactive monitoring process and report on the state of conservation every 5 years, concomitant with the updating of the Development and Management Plan.

Numerous reports, scientific or impact studies are appended to the State Party report.

The State Party has made substantial efforts to address the threats affecting the property. In-depth knowledge from numerous studies and the management effectiveness chart make it possible to identify the issues. It is recommended to continue the efforts of developing knowledge, monitoring and actions against threats.

Noting that climate change is a crucial issue for the distribution of ecosystems (in particular seagrasses) and species and therefore for the OUV of the property, as well as for local populations, it is recommended that the State Party prioritize its prospective analysis on the potential impacts of climate change on the OUV and submit it to the World Heritage Centre for review. Noting that the ecosystems of the property represent an important reservoir of blue carbon, the State Party is encouraged to explore the eligibility for funds to adapt to the effects of climate change, and to share these experiences with other World Heritage properties.

Any consideration for the relocation of threatened villages should be part of this reflection carried out in consultation with the communities concerned, and the World Heritage Centre and IUCN recall the importance of the principle of free, prior and informed consent, in accordance with the Convention and the international standards.

It is worrying that fishing in the property has increased tenfold since 1997 and doubled since 2014, even if selachian catches are stagnating thanks to the actions carried out. It is recommended to intensify these actions to end this practice. A reflection seems necessary on the impact of the intensification of fishing on the OUV, even if the annual contribution of artisanal fishing inside the property represents only 1% of the total of this segment at the level of the Mauritanian EEZ.

Significant efforts are being made to oversee the development of Chami and limit the associated threats. The waste produced must be managed sustainably, in line with the recommendations of Chami's sustainable waste management strategy. The relocation of the gold processing centre 30 km to the east seems positive, but clarification is needed concerning the management of mining waste and other environmental aspects of this site. Although the analyses currently show the absence of significant heavy metal contamination in the property, it is important to continue these analyses and install monitoring equipment.

It is recommended to finalize exploration of the technical feasibility of a possible designation of the property as a PSSA (potentially taking into account the planned wind farm), in addition to national efforts to limit the risks. The current abandonment of oil exploration in Block C-19 is welcomed. No information is provided on the status of oil exploration projects in block C-7 located near the property.

Given the concerns of the management authority of the property on the potential impacts of the offshore seismic campaign and the lack of significant consideration of its impacts on the OUV in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), it is recommended not to authorize this campaign before revising the ESIA to assess the potential impacts on the OUV of the property, in accordance with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage Context, developed in collaboration between the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre, and taking into account the recommendations of the property’s management authority.

Considering the wind farm development project at the borders of the property (Nour – Hydrogène Vert), it is important that an ESIA is carried out in accordance with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage Context, to assess any potential impact on the OUV of the property, and be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN, before any decision is taken.

It is also necessary to continue the monitoring of the groundwater harnessed for the Tasiast mine and to complete the strategic regional assessment of the hydrological system.

It is noted that avian influenza has not had an impact on the property, and it is recommended that the State Party be commended for its efforts in dealing with this threat and that it continues monitoring it.

Regarding the potential addition of new criterion(a), as discussed during the meeting of 10 February 2022 between the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN, it is recommended that the State Party consider whether it wishes to submit a new nomination for inscription of the property, in order to include new criteria or not.

The State Party's request to provide reports on the state of conservation of the property every five years is well noted, however, given the many projects concerning the property, it is preferable that a monitoring report be submitted to the World Heritage Centre in December 2024.