Decision 43 COM 7B.111

Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa (South Africa) (C 915bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.72, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Acknowledges the continuous engagement of the State Party with addressing the issue of acid mine drainage at the property;
4. Welcomes the submission of the Vulnerable Fossil Site Risk Prevention Strategy for the Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs component of the property;
5. Also welcomes the State Party’s commitment to continue executing the Short Term Solution (STS) to the acid mine drainage until such a time as the Long Term Solution (LTS) has been approved and is operational, as well as the State Party’s commitment to submit the design specification and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the second phase of the Western Basin Treatment Works (Long Term Solution) for review by the Advisory Bodies before implementation;
6. Requests the State Party to:
   1. Extend the Risk Prevention Strategy to include other risks to vulnerable fossil deposits in the entire property beyond those posed by acid water drainage,
   2. Address the other two components of this serial property not included in the submitted Risk Assessment in an extended Risk Prevention Strategy,
   3. Submit this extended Risk Prevention Strategy for review by the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies, once completed;
7. Also requests the State Party to finalize the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) under preparation in conformity with recommendations of the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre, and submit it to the World Heritage Centre for review as soon as possible;
8. Further requests the State Party to:
   1. Continue its engagement with water quality targets for the Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs component of the property to be able to provide these as informants to the design specification and the EIA for the second phase of the Western Basin Treatment Works (Long Term Solution),
   2. Clarify the effects and risks, if any, of the bacteriological pollution from the municipal wastewater effluent on the Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs component of the property, and, if necessary, report on how the pollution will be controlled;
9. Requests furthermore the State Party, in view of the property’s sensitivity to the surface and groundwater quality of the wider setting, to inform the Committee on all major projects, including mining licenses issued adjacent or in the vicinity of all components of the property, in conformity with the Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.