Decision 41 COM 7B.18

Dja Wildlife Reserve (Cameroon) (N 407)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.79, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Expresses its deep concern as regards the damage to the forests, but also to the fields and plantations of the local communities, caused by the flood provoked by the partial impoundment of the Mékin Dam, and as regards the extremely fragile situation of the property in the face of these threats;
4. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the fact that the joint World Heritage/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission of 2015 had noted that the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property was at risk from serious threats in the event that the construction of the Mékin Dam was completed without any mitigation measure in place to reduce the negative impacts of this project;
5. Again urges the State Party to urgently implement the Environmental and Social Management Plan (PGES) ensuring that the mitigation measures for negative impacts of the dam on the property are implemented;
6. Requests the State Party to provide detailed information on the measures undertaken to mitigate the impacts caused by the partial impoundment of the dam to the property;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2018, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018, with a view to considering, in the absence of significant progress in the implementation of the above-mentioned measures and those contained in its Decision 40 COM 7B.79, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.