Decision 38 COM 7B.97

Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas (N 302) (Zimbabwe)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 35 COM 7B.8, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),
3. Welcomes the decision of the State Party of Zimbabwe to implement the “no mining in World Heritage properties” policy and withdraw the prospecting permit for mining of mineral sands within the property;
4. Also welcomes the reported improvements made to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Vine semi-permanent camp, through more comprehensive inclusion of stakeholders’ concerns and development of mitigation measures as well as initiation of the development of the comprehensive management plan for the entire property, including Sapi and Chewore Safari areas;
5. Notes with concern that the State Party of Zambia approved an open cast mining development in Lower Zambezi National Park across the Zambezi River from the property, without due consideration of potential impacts on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and urges the State Party of Zambia to reverse this decision;
6. Recalls its recommendation to the State Party of Zambia to consider nominating the Lower Zambezi National Park in order to eventually constitute a joint trans-boundary inscription on the World Heritage List, in line with the World Heritage Committee's recommendation at the time of inscription of the property;
7. Reiterates its request to the State Party of Zimbabwe to conduct a new survey of key wildlife species to determine current wildlife population estimates of the area, to continue site monitoring programmes and to conduct a feasibility study for a possible reintroduction programme of black rhinoceros, which disappeared from the property due to poaching;
8. Requests the State Party of Zimbabwe to provide an electronic and three printed copies of the draft revised management plan for the property as a whole, for review by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN;
9. Also requests the State Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe to inform the World Heritage Centre of any planned developments that might impact on the property, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, and to ensure that EIAs conducted for any such planned developments are in accordance with IUCN’s World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Impact Assessments;
10. Further requests the State Party of Zambia to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a report on the status of the decision regarding the Kangaluwi and Chisawa open cast mine in Lower Zambezi National Park and its potential impacts on the property’s OUV;
11. Requests furthermore the State Party of Zimbabwe, in consultation with the State Party of Zambia, to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2015, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property, including on the implementation of the mitigation measures for the Vine Camp site as well as the above-mentioned requests, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.