Decision 45 COM 7B.102

Wadi Rum Protected Area (Jordan) (C/N 1377)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.74 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Takes note of the ongoing review of the buffer zone provisions and regulations for eventual approval and publication in the official gazette and requests the State Party to finalise this process, and to submit these regulations to the World Heritage Centre, with the related land-use plan as a Minor Boundary Modification once available;
4. Welcomes the publication of the “Instructions for regulating camping, touristic activities and events within Wadi Rum Protected Area” and the efforts undertaken to implement these instructions, and requests the State Party to continue informing the World Heritage Centre about their implementation and enforcement, including on how it is contributing to the sustainable management of the property;
5. Acknowledging that the completion of the Heritage and Environmental Impact Assessment (HEIA) of tourism activities in and around the property was delayed due to technical and financial constraints, also requests the State Party to finalise this process as soon as possible, in conformity with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and to submit it to the World Heritage Centre once available, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
6. Notes with concern the limited progress made in the finalisation of the Integrated Management Plan (IMP), and reiterates its request to the State Party to revise the IMP in accordance with the technical reviews provided by the Advisory Bodies, identifying targeted actions to be implemented, including those to address issues related to carrying capacity studies, zoning and regulations, and the inclusion of a comprehensive conservation strategy, and to ensure that the IMP provides references to legal measures and policies, and is backed by the necessary trained staff and financial resources, to enable the effective management of the property and its buffer zone, and to submit the final IMP to the World Heritage Centre once completed;
7. Also welcomes the progress on sanitation solutions for the Al Quwayrah and Disi districts, including for tourist camps (three pilot on-site sanitation units) and Wadi Rum village (proposed decentralised wastewater treatment outside the property), and further requests the State Party to monitor the three pilot projects and provide further detailed information on any proposed sanitation solutions, and to ensure that potential impacts of individual water management infrastructure are assessed in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context and submitted to the World Heritage Centre before any decision to proceed;
8. Continues to encourage the State Party to complete the Geographic Information System (GIS) database for the entire property, integrating information on both cultural and natural heritage attributes, in order to facilitate monitoring and management of the property;
9. Requests moreover the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2024, 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 47th session.