World Heritage Centre

9 COM XIII.38-39 Monitoring of the State of Conservation of the World Heritage Properties: General Issues

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

38. The Committee thanked IUCN for these comprehensive reports and for regularly providing information on the status of natural properties. It furthermore welcomed the proposal of ICOMOS to submit similar reports, as far as its means would allow, in the near future.

39. Finally, the Committee welcomed document SC-85/CONF.008/INF.2 reporting on the measures taken by Yugoslavia to implement the World Heritage Convention and encouraged other States Parties to prepare such national reports for submission to the Committee.

9 COM XIII.A SOC: Djoudj National Park (Senegal)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Djoudj National Park, Senegal: The immediate situation of this Park, which is threatened by a large hydro-agricultural project, has been alleviated by the construction of a temporary canal. The longer term solutions were investigated by IUCN, Unesco, the Senegalese and Mauritanian authorities at a special workshop held in Senegal in July 1985. The main conclusions of this meeting included the agreement to establish the contiguous area to Djoudj in Mauritania known as Diawling as a national park and to eventually nominate this site with Djoudj as a transfrontier World Heritage property. Also, the completion of the Diama dam in 1986 would improve the water supply for Djoudj, although the effects of another dam, at Manatali, to be completed in 1989 were as yet unknown. IUCN indicated that, in the light of this favorable progress, Djoudj National Park could perhaps be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger by 1987.

9 COM XIII.A SOC: Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania: The Tanzanian authorities had organised a commission of enquiry into the management of this property but as yet the conclusion had not yet been made known. However, with the financial support of NORAD (Norway), a major technical workshop was being held in December 1985 to study improving the management of this property. IUCN considered that this progress was positive and indicated that Ngorongoro could perhaps be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger by 1987.

9 COM XIII.A SOC: Garamba National Park (Zaire)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Garamba National Park, Zaire: The representative of Zaire, the President Delegate General of the Zaire Institute for the Conservation of Nature (IZCN), presented the Committee with an up-to-date report on the progress of work undertaken by IZCN and the consortium formed by Unesco-World Heritage, IUCN/WWF and the Frankfurt Zoological Society. The main objective of the project is to safeguard the population of endangered northern white rhinoceros in the park. The project was progressing well and the equipment provided with support of the World Heritage Fund had helped to strengthen the protection of this park. Indeed, there had been no deaths of rhinoceros reported since 1984 and two baby rhinoceroses had been born in May and June in 1985, bringing the population to 15 specimens. The representative of Zaire stressed his Government's commitment to this project, which, in particular, would enable the rhinoceros population to build up its numbers in its natural habitat. The Committee congratulated the Zairois authorities on their laudable efforts to ensure the success of this project and hoped that sufficient progress could eventually be made to remove Garamba National Park from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

9 COM XIII.B SOC: Tai National Park (Cote d'Ivoire)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Tai National Park, Ivory Coast: IUCN reported that the situation had not improved since its reports of 1982 and 1984. The Secretariat had written to the Ivory Coast authorities indicating the possibility of nomination to the List of World Heritage in Danger but to date no response had been received. The Committee requested the Secretariat to continue its contacts and inform the Bureau of progress in this respect.

9 COM XIII.B SOC: Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia: The critical situation of this park, as reported to the Bureau at its 9th session had not altered and IUCN noted that if compensatory measures to re-establish the water regime of this Park were not taken very soon, the property would lose its international importance for migratory wildfowl. IUCN therefore strongly recommended the inclusion of this Park in the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Tunisian authorities had not responded to the Secretariat's request for further information, however, the representative of Tunisia informed the Committee that he would take up this matter at the highest level and he would inform the Secretariat and IUCN of the results of this enquiry.

9 COM XIII.C SOC: Los Glaciares (Argentina)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Los Glaciares, Argentina: Part of this Park was being considered for reappropriation for a settlement scheme by the Province of Santa Cruz and the second phase of this project could result in the excision of a further 20,000 ha which included an important habitat for the humeal deer. The Argentine representative confirmed this report and indicated that this problem was in fact of concern to the central government authorities, who wished to take this matter up with the Provincial Government. The Committee requested the Secretariat to contact the Argentine authorities to obtain more information on this matter.

9 COM XIII.C SOC: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Australia)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia: In reply to the Bureau's request for further information on the impacts of the construction of a road on the fringing reef adjacent to Cape Tribulation National Park, the Australian authorities had provided a comprehensive report which outlined a 3 year scientific research programme costing approximately 1 million $ to determine any short or possible long-term damage these reefs. The Committee expressed its satisfaction with this programme although it noted the comment by the IUCN representative that 3 years would be necessary before any conclusions could be reached. The representative of Australia indicated that it would inform the Committee at regular intervals on the progress and the results of this research programme.

9 COM XIII.C SOC: Pirin National Park (Bulgaria)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Pirin National Park, Bulgaria: The construction of a hotel and a ski-resort at the head of the Vihren Valley within this Park was being undertaken, against strong opposition by local conservation groups. The representative of IUCN requested whether an environmental impact assessment had been made for these developments. The representative of Bulgaria confirmed these developments and informed the Committee that she would request the Pirin National Park authorities to provide a full report which she would transmit to the Bureau at its next session.

9 COM XIII.C SOC: Wood Buffalo National Park (Canada)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada: It was recalled that, when inscribing this property on the World Heritage List in 1983, the Committee had drawn the attention to the harmful consequences of the possible construction of a dam on the Slave River to the natural characteristics of this property. The Committee was informed that the plans for such a dam had been definitively cancelled and expressed its satisfaction to both the Provincial and National Canadian authorities.

9 COM XIII.C SOC: Galapagos National Park (Ecuador)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Galapagos National Park, Ecuador: A man-caused fire on Isabela Island in March 1985 had resulted in an international appeal to aid the efforts of the Ecuadorian Government and Park authorities to extinguish the blaze, which had burnt over 30,000 ha. A contribution of US$10,500 from the World Heritage Fund under emergency assistance had been provided, in addition to contributions from WWF-Germany and the United Kingdom and contributions in kind from the Province of Quebec (Canada) and the United States. There had been no serious losses of animal species and it was reported that the fire could even have had some positive effects on habitat.

9 COM XIII.C SOC: Simen National Park (Ethiopia)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Simen National Park, Ethiopia: The management plan for this park, which resulted from a workshop supported by the World Heritage Fund, had been finalised. However, the situation described by IUCN at the 8th session of the Committee in 1984 had not developed further and no further information had been obtained.

9 COM XIII.C SOC: Durmitor National Park (Yugoslavia)

wh-support@unesco.org — Mon, 02 Dec 1985 00:00:00 EST

Durmitor National Park, Yugoslavia: This property had been threatened by the construction of a dam on the Tara River, however, due to public pressure from within and without Yugoslavia, this proposal had been cancelled. The Committee noted its satisfaction that this threat had now been removed and congratulated the Yugoslav authorities on making the best use of the Convention to support efforts to protect this property.