Decision 44 COM 7B.92

Keoladeo National Park (India) (N 340)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.68, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Regrets that the State Party did not invite the IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission requested in its Decision 42 COM 7B.68, and reiterates its request to the State Party to urgently invite this mission to the property, to take place prior to the next session of the Committee, to assess its state of conservation and the progress made in addressing issues of water provision and invasive alien species;
4. Expresses its utmost concern that the issue of insufficient water delivery remains unresolved to date and, noting the State Party’s efforts towards improving water flow to the property, strongly urges the State Party to decide on a sustainable and reliable solution to secure and sustain the 550 mcft annual minimum water flow to the property required to sustain its the basic ecological function, including through concrete measures to ensure adequate flow from Panchna, Chambal and Govardhan projects;
5. Requests the State Party to ensure that a stringent water quality monitoring mechanism is in place before any effluent is diverted from the sewage water treatment plants in Bharatpur city into the property, so as to avoid any contaminated water being diverted to the property, and to ensure there is no negative impact on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
6. Welcomes the issuance of a final notification declaring an Eco-Sensitive Zone around the property and the State Party’s assurances that a consultative process is ongoing for the development of a Zonal Master Plan, and encourages the State Party to consider formalizing the Eco-Sensitive Zone as a World Heritage buffer zone by submitting a proposal for a Minor Boundary Modification, in accordance with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
7. Also welcomes the State Party’s continued efforts to address invasive alien species within the property and its intention to incorporate an eradication strategy into the revised Management Plan, which should also address the abovementioned water flow issues, and also requests the State Party submit an electronic copy of the revised draft to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2022 for review by IUCN before it is finalized;
8. Further requests the State Party to provide recent bird census data and analyses, including population trends for both heronry and waterfowl, and also reiterates its request to the State Party to clearly document the long-term approach and methodology of systematic bird population monitoring in the pending revised Management Plan;
9. Also noting the potential health risks to wildlife and people caused by the disposal of cattle carcasses near the property, requests furthermore that the State Party immediately prevent any further disposal;
10. Requests moreover 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, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.