Wadi Rum Protected Area

• Housing
• Lack of a database on cultural heritage
• Lack of proper conservation and maintenance of the archaeological sites
• Lack of traffic and visitor management plans
• Potential encroachment from development in the village of Rum
• Lack of trained staff and financial resources for the management of the property
• Financial resources
• Governance
• Human resources
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
• Management systems/ management plan
• Solid waste

N/A

On 30 November 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, a summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1377/documents/, and which provides the following information:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted management capacity, slowing progress on changes to legislative and institutional frameworks and the implementation of management activities, as well as causing significant financial and socioeconomic impacts;
• The buffer zone provisions and regulations are being reviewed, and their final approval and publication in the national gazette is expected by the end of 2025;
• The “Instructions for regulating camping, touristic activities, and events within Wadi Rum Protected Area” were officially published in 2021. On this basis, tourist camps and camp-like installations have been surveyed, documented and inspected. Required changes have been communicated to camp owners to comply with within six months from September 2022, in order to be licensed and sign a lease agreement. Camps that have not met requirements will be closed and dismantled. Seven illegal camps have been dismantled and their natural surroundings restored;
• Progress on the preparation of a Heritage and Environmental Impact Assessment (HEIA) for tourism activities includes the identification of values and attributes, a preliminary analysis of factors, and delivery of staff training in 2022, constituting around 30-40% of the necessary work. Progress was limited due to financial and technical reasons, and is expected to resume and be completed in 2023;
• A national steering committee was established in 2022 to ensure the effective and sustainable management of the property, with a focus on tourism, and which is overseeing the update of the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) expected to be completed by mid-2023;
• Under the framework of the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and The Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association (BORDA), three on-site sanitation units have been established as a pilot project at the visitor centre and two large camps, following the 2019 pre-feasibility study which concluded that existing wastewater containment (unsealed cesspits) are not polluting the Al-Disi aquifer below the property. On-site units will be required for any large camp licensed by ASEZA. The annexed 2021 report (“Sanitation Solutions for Rum Village and Touristic Camps”) further states that, for Rum village, an alternative decentralised wastewater treatment plant (near Disi village to serve Rum and surrounding villages) has been proposed in a feasibility study;
• Several activities were implemented under the USAID funded (Sustainable Cultural Heritage through Engagement of Local Communities Project (SCHEP)) partnership, including training of the management team, documentation of cultural heritage, and the implementation of a women’s leadership development programme involving local communities;
• Progress has been made to integrate the cultural and natural heritage databases into a Geographic Information System (GIS) database, which now covers 51% of the property and is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.

The State Party has continued to make welcome progress to address the Committee’s concerns and recommendations, but noting that COVID-19 affected the implementation of management activities for the property, the State Party should ensure such activities are resumed as soon as possible, and also ensure visitation continues to be managed sustainably as tourism recovers.

The publication of “Instructions for regulating camping, touristic activities, and events within Wadi Rum Protected Area” and the implementation of this legal framework is a welcome step, and compliance should continue to be monitored and applied. Noting that the “General Provisions and Regulations of the Buffer Zone of Wadi Rum Protected Area” are undergoing a process of review and approval before being officially published, the State Party is requested to continue to finalise this process and to keep the World Heritage Centre informed of progress.

It is noted that the HEIA was delayed by technical and financial constraints and is anticipated for completion in 2023. Recalling that the impact assessment was recommended by the 2014 Reactive Monitoring mission (the implementation of which was adopted by the Committee), the State Party should ensure the HEIA is completed as soon as possible, in line with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and to submit it to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

The limited progress regarding the updating of the IMP is a further concern, and it is recommended that the submission of the revised draft IMP to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies is prioritised. This should include a comprehensive conservation strategy and provide references to legal measures and policies.

The report that current wastewater containment practices (unsealed cesspits) do not pollute the Al-Disi aquifer below the property, as well as the identification of recommended sanitation solutions for touristic camps (i.e., on-site sanitation) and Rum village (i.e., decentralised treatment outside the property), are positive. In this regard, the establishment of three on-site pilot sanitation units, and the requirement to include on-site sanitation for large camp licenses going forward, are noted. It is recommended to continue efforts to improve wastewater sanitation in the property, including the proposed decentralised treatment plant for villages including Rum. However, it is recommended the State Party ensure a strategic approach to the establishment of water management infrastructure within the property, and to ensure impact assessments are completed for individual sanitation projects in line with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context. It is recommended the State Party provide further information on the anticipated decentralised sanitation projects before taking any decision that would be difficult to reverse.

The collaboration with international institutions and programmes, capacity building activities including those within the framework of the Women’s Leadership Programme, aerial survey and field inspection work, as well as other advancements made regarding an integrated GIS database are all acknowledged. It is recommended that the Committee further encourage the State Party to build on these efforts, particularly in terms of completing an integrated GIS database for the whole property, which would facilitate more effective monitoring and management.