State of Conservation (SOC)
Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (2005)
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds
International Assistance granted to the property
Requests Approved: 0
(from1999-2000)
Total Amount Ap proved: 142,000USD
| 2000 | Préparation d’un dossier d'inscription du site de l’Aïr et du ... | 15,000 USD |
| 1999 | Financial support for the implementation of the emergency ... | 75,000 USD |
| 1999 | Action plan for the implementation of Urgent rehabilitation ...
Reapproval: 04 Sep, 2000 (n°1320 - 12,000 USD)
|
12,000 USD |
| 1999 | Action plan for the implementation of Urgent rehabilitation ...
Reapproval: 01 Mar, 2001 (n°1341 - 20,000 USD)
|
20,000 USD |
| 1999 | National Sensitising Seminar for the Personnel Charged with ... | 20,000 USD |
Missions**
1998 UNESCO mission.
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
Political instability and civil strife, management constraints, ostrich poaching.
Corrective Measures
Current conservation issues
During its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), the Committee reiterated its concern that no report had been provided on the theft of the vehicles financed under the World Heritage Fund and on the implementation of the rehabilitation plan for the property. The State Party addressed a letter to the World Heritage Centre on 7 December 2004, with a copy of the report prepared by the Ministry for National Defence of Niger, in which it was stipulated in particular that the vehicles had been stolen from their legal owners, on 19 March 2002, following an armed assault. No report was provided on the state of conservation of the property.
The mission requested by the Committee at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003) to evaluate the implementation of the rehabilitation plan had had to be postponed because of organisational difficulties and security reasons. At the time of preparation of this document, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN are organising this evaluation mission, in cooperation with the State Party. The outcome of this mission, which should take place before the 29th session, will be presented during the Committee session, and a revised draft decision could be proposed to take account of the conclusions.
Furthermore, IUCN and the State Party are collaborating on the implementation of the project financed by the Global Environment Facility, which focuses on the Aïr and Tenéré Natural Reserves (RNNAT) and its associated areas (Tabelote, Timia, Tintelous and Iférouane), constituting 20 million hectares of the Biosphere Reserve, including the seven million hectares of the World Heritage site. The current preparatory phase of the project proposes a 12-year project focused on halting the degradation of Saharan ecosystem lands of the northern part of Niger through an integrated local development and decentralisation process.
Conclusion
Decision
29COM7A.6
Link to the decision
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A and the Draft Decision 29 COM 7A.6.Rev,
2. Recalling Decision 28 COM 15A.6 adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), as well as Decision 27 COM 7A.5 adopted at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003),
3. Taking note of the report of the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, presented by IUCN during the 29th session (Durban, 2005),
4. Notes the information in the report provided by the State Party concerning the stolen vehicles;
5. Expresses its utmost concern over the findings of the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, in particular the continuing deterioration of the World Heritage value of the property, the on-going poaching of wildlife, land degradation as a result of significant commercial extractions of natural resources, as well as a lack of progress in the implementation of the rehabilitation plan;
6. Encourages the State Party of Niger and UNDP/GEF to expedite the approval and implementation of the project “Co-management of Natural Resources in Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves and adjacent areas” (COGERAT);
7. Urges the State Party to implement the recommendations by the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, with a view to addressing urgent threats to the property, in particular:
a) re-establish physical presence of the management authority in Iférouane and provide adequate resources to the management authority in order to allow a better control of natural resource use within the property;
b) establish Land Commissions (Commissions foncières) in the four Municipalities and clarify respective land-use and resource access rights for local residents;
c) significantly improve monitoring and surveillance of the property in order to address poaching and illegal commercial natural resource extraction issues;
d) immediately halt all commercial collection of timber and hay from the property; and
e) initiate soil and vegetation stabilization actions to control soil erosion, and measures to reduce corollary destabilization of soils by motorized traffic;
8. Requests the State Party to submit by 1 February 2006 a report on the state of conservation of the property and on progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the 2005 monitoring mission, for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);
9. Decides to retain the Aïr and Tenéré Natural Reserves (Niger) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.Draft decision: 29 COM 7A.6
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 28 COM 15A.6 adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), as well as Decision 27 COM 7A.5 adopted at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003),
3. Notes the information in the report provided by the State Party concerning the stolen vehicles;
4. Reiterates its request to the State Party to provide a report on progress achieved in the implementation of the rehabilitation plan;
5. Congratulates the State Party, the Global Environment Facility, IUCN and other organisations involved in organising the project for the Aïr and Tenéré Natural Reserves and requests the guarantee that the implementation phase of the project will include a programme for the rehabilitation of the property which takes account of the recommendations of the IUCN / World Heritage Centre mission;
6. Decides to maintain the Air and Tenéré Natural Reserves on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves
NigerExports
Word File Threats*
- Illegal activities
- Civil unrest
- Management systems/ management plan
- Other Threats:
Documents
WHC-05/29.COM/7AOther Documents:
View inscribed site documents, nomination file, reports, decisions, ...SOC ID: 1235
Inscription on the Danger List
Year: 1992Threats to the Site:
The region having recently suffered from military conflict and civil disturbance, the Government of Niger asked the Director- General of UNESCO to launch an appeal for the protection of the site, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991. Six members of the Reserve staff were being held as hostages since February 1992 and, in compliance with the request of Niger's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, the Committee decided to inscribe the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
