Decision 39 COM 7B.4

Lake Turkana National Parks (Kenya) (N 801bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.90, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Regrets that the report submitted by the State Party of Kenya did not address the requests made by the Committee in Paragraph 10 of its Decision 38 COM 7B.90;
4. Recalls the significant impacts of poaching, fishing and livestock grazing on the property reported by the 2012 mission, and requests the State Party of Kenya to urgently implement the outstanding 2012 mission recommendations;
5. Welcomes the increased and constructive bilateral discussions between the States Parties of Kenya and Ethiopia, which led to a joint meeting in January 2015 to discuss the impact of Gibe III dam and the Kuraz Sugar Scheme on Lake Turkana World Heritage property, and notes with appreciation the intention of the States Parties of Kenya and Ethiopia to establish a joint expert panel for monitoring basin-wide natural resource management under the existing Ethiopia-Kenya Joint Ministerial Commission;
6. Also notes that impounding of the Gibe III hydroelectric dam began in January 2015 despite the Committee’s request to the State Party of Ethiopia not to start filling until a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was completed;
7. Notes with concern that no progress in undertaking a SEA has been made by the States Parties as initially requested by the Committee in Decision 36 COM 7B.3 and strongly urges the States Parties of Kenya and Ethiopia to ensure that the SEA is completed as a matter of priority, including an assessment of cumulative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, and also requests the States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN: a report demonstrating significant progress in preparing the SEA by 1 February 2016; and the completed SEA by 1 February 2018;
8. Also notes the Gibe III dam may dampen the magnitude of flow variations of the Omo River, and that there will be an additional drop in lake levels during the impounding period;
9. Notes that the current 6,000 ha of Kuraz Sugar Scheme project has limited impact on the property’s OUV at present, but that the full potential impact of the final proposed project and additional developments require detailed assessment, and also urges the State Party of Ethiopia to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), using best available hydrological data of the Lower Omo, including its tributaries downstream of the Kuraz Sugar Scheme, and accurate rainfall data, and to ensure the findings in relation to any potential impacts on OUV are fully taken into account and submit the EIA as part of the SEA by 2018 to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN;
10. Takes note of the 2015 joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring Mission Report, and the exchange of letters between the State Party of Ethiopia and the World Heritage Centre regarding its recommendations, further requests both States Parties to include their response to the mission recommendations in their report to the next session of the World Heritage Committee;
11. Requests furthermore the States Parties of Kenya and Ethiopia to continue to make all efforts to ensure protection of the OUV of the property and that any outstanding issues are properly addressed within the existing joint Ministerial Commission and in line with the established procedures of the World Heritage Convention;
12. Requests moreover the States Parties of Kenya and Ethiopia to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, a joint updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.