Decision 42 COM 7A.55

Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) (N 153)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7A.16, adopted during its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Warmly welcomes the continued efforts of the State Party in the implementation of the corrective measures, in particular those concerning the anti-poaching mechanism, the ongoing updating of the Management Plan of the property and the implementation of an ecological monitoring system, the combat against invasive species, the development of grazing areas and the reduction of livestock encroachment in the property, as well as the gradual participation of the communities in the management of the property, and requests the State Party to continue its efforts;
4. Takes note of the positive tendencies of the species monitored by the bio-monitoring programme but considers that the data base must be extended before these tendencies are confirmed, and notes a reduced level of poaching;
5. Reiterates its concerns concerning the impact of the Mako gold prospection project on the OUV of the property and takes note of the efforts of the State Party and the Pétowal Mining Company (PMC) to ensure a monitoring of these impacts, but regrets that no monitoring report on the quality of the waters has been provided and also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre a monitoring report, including an analysis of the data on the quantity and quality of the surface and underground waters above and below the project;
6. Recalling its deep concern as regards the potential impacts of the Mako gold prospection project on the chimpanzees, further requests the State Party to provide specific and detailed data on the monitoring of this species, to enable an evaluation of the actual impacts of the project, as well as an assessment of the efficacy of the conservation areas created outside the property with a view to mitigating these impacts and improving the conservation of this species;
7. Also considers that the current studies to determine the inter-connectivity of the waters of the River Gambia and the ponds located in the property are an important step towards providing an assessment of the impacts of the Sambangalou dam project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and reiterates its request to the State Party to develop an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the project, in conformity with the IUCN`s World Heritage Advice Note: environmental assessment, and to keep the World Heritage Centre informed of its progress, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, as requested for many years;
8. Further requests the State Party to confirm, without delay, whether the closure of the basalt quarry at Mansadala has been effected as foreseen, recalling that the closure date has already been postponed several times;
9. Finally, requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2019, 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 43rd session in 2019;
10. Decides to retain Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.