Decision 44 COM 7B.84

Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (South Africa) (N 1007bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.94, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Welcomes the confirmation that a sustainable financing mechanism is now in place for all three management authorities of the property to ensure its effective management;
4. Notes with concern the delay in finalizing the management plans for all 13 clusters of the property, which further delays the development of the requested Integrated Management Plan (IMP), that should ensure a common management framework and objectives for the entire property in line with the defined Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and urges again the State Party to accelerate the process;
5. Appreciates that the development of an Environmental Management Framework has now begun, which will propose additional buffer zones around each cluster and will guide the future development of a Spatial Development Framework which will cover strategic spatial planning and guide land use in the area;
6. Notes with concern the fires which affected the Table Mountain component of the property and requests the State Party to report on the impacts of the fire on the state of conservation of the property;
7. Requests the State Party to clarify the location of the permanent housing identified for the resettlement of the communities affected by fire and flooding, and demonstrate that there will be no impact on the OUV of the property;
8. Also requests the State Party to ensure the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed Interpretative Centre at Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve component of the property, which was mentioned in the State Party report, to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN before any decision is taken that may be difficult to reverse in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
9. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above.