VIII.8 Simien National Park (Ethiopia)
The Committee was informed that the Director of the Department of Agriculture from the Amhara Region, which is directly responsible for the management of this site, participated in the Amman Workshop. In his presentation, the Director had pointed out several improvements in the state of conservation of the site and expressed his disagreement with the 1996 consultant mission findings that led to the Committee to include Simien in the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Permanent Delegate of Ethiopia, by letter of 16 October 2000 to the Director of the Centre, has confirmed agreement of the Amhara Regional authorities to receive a new and high-level consultant mission that may view and discuss the many efforts of the Regional Government to rehabilitate the Park. Such efforts including: (a) increases in budget and staff deployment; (b) favourable outcome of discussions with local communities; (c) steering committee for rehabilitation and development; (d) a 5-year plan for execution; (e) strengthened co-operation with donors; and (e) increased numbers of key species such as ibexes and red foxes. In the same letter, the Permanent Delegate also informed the Centre that the Amhara Regional Government is intending to propose a realignment of a road expected to run through the Park, resettle farmers currently resident inside the Park and enlarge the Park and redefine boundaries to excise areas occupied by villagers
The Committee requested the Centre and IUCN to cooperate with the State Party and the Amhara Region to field a site visit to Simien National Park in order to prepare a report for the next session of the Committee, including observations and comments on existing plans for rehabilitation and changes and modifications to such plans that may be needed. In preparing such a report, the Centre and IUCN may also wish to discuss indicators and benchmarks that may be described and be useful in determining when the site could be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Committee retained the site in the List of World Heritage in Danger.