Decision 44 COM 7B.121

Fossil hominid sites of South Africa (South Africa) (C 915bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 43 COM 7B.111, adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019),
3. Commends the State Party for the efforts made towards the conservation of the property, in particular as regards to the continued monitoring of the Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs (FHSSSKE) component and the process initiated to develop similar risk prevention strategies for other components, the gazette of water quality targets and the extensive ground and surface water quality monitoring results provided for the FHSSSKE component, and encourages the State Party to continue efforts in this direction;
4. Acknowledges the continued implementation and extension of the Short-Term Solution (STS) to prevent a future Acid Mine Discharge event as well as continued water quality monitoring and finalisation of water quality targets, but regrets the limited progress made in developing the required Long-Term Solution (LTS) for the Western Basin Treatment Works, and the requested Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA);
5. Supports the extension of the STS, but requests the State Party to:
   1. Augment the STS to allow for sufficient capacity to deal with high-rainfall events and submit details of these measures to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies,
   2. Submit the design specification and the EIA for the second phase of the Western Basin Treatment Works (LTS) for review by the Advisory Bodies within the three-year STS extension period and before implementation thereof;
6. Reiterates its request to the State Party to:
   1. Finalize the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) under preparation in conformity with recommendations of the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre,
   2. Extend the Risk Prevention Strategy to the Taung Skull Fossil site and the Makapan Valley components of the property and incorporate these into the IMP,
   3. Submit the IMP and Risk Prevention Strategy to the World Heritage Centre for review as soon as possible,
   4. Address the bacteriological pollution from the municipal wastewater effluent on the Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs component of the property;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit designs and all impact assessments as well as the Heritage Management Plan/s for the visitors’ facilities and infrastructure upgrades at the Taung Skull Fossil site and the Makapan Valley components of the property to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before any further implementation of these projects;
8. 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, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.