Decision 45 COM 7B.18

Landscapes of Dauria (Mongolia, Russian Federation) (N 1448rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions 41 COM 8B.6 and 44 COM 7B.187 adopted at its 41st (Krakow, 2017) and extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) sessions respectively,
3. Regrets that the reports on the state of conservation of the property were submitted separately by each State Party, recalls that, for transboundary properties, States Parties should submit a joint report rather than individual reports on their national components, and requests the States Parties of Mongolia and the Russian Federation to submit a joint report in the future;
4. Reiterates its utmost concern about the potential negative impacts of the Onon-Ulz Dam, as demonstrated by the research conducted by the State Party of the Russian Federation, including important potential impacts on aquatic and semi-aquatic bird species and their habitats through a significant loss of water resources in the Ulz River and the Torey Lakes, as well as degradation of the quality of water used by local communities surrounding the property;
5. Urges the State Party of Mongolia to maintain the suspension of all activities associated with the project until an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been finalised in line with the new Guidance for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context and, in consultation with the States Parties of the Russian Federation and China, to assess the potential impacts of the project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, taking into account future climate scenarios and the potential for the project to compound the negative impacts of climate change, as well as the potential impacts on the World Heritage property of Lake Baikal, and to submit this assessment to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN;
6. Expresses concern about the reported approval of a gold mining prospecting licence by the Russian Federation in an area adjacent to the Mongolia component of the property, due to its importance as winter habitat of Mongolian Gazelle and several rare birds of prey as well as the significance of the associated lakes as refuges for aquatic fauna during prolonged droughts, and also urges the State Party of the Russian Federation not to go forward with the planned gold prospection activities;
7. Welcomes the cooperative censuses for aquatic and semi-aquatic birds and Mongolian Gazelles carried out by the States Parties within the framework of the China-Mongolia-Russia International Protected Area Agreement (DIPA), and encourages the States Parties to continue and strengthen transnational cooperation for the management and conservation of the property, including by implementing measures to ensure the preservation of the hydrological regime of transboundary watercourses that support the property’s OUV, through comprehensive assessment and monitoring in the transboundary region, and to mitigate and adapt to the predicted impacts of climate change;
8. Encourages again the States Parties of Mongolia, the Russian Federation and China to consider the potential expansion of the property to cover additional areas of forest steppe and critical habitats, notably for migratory birds and the Mongolian Gazelle;
9. Notes with concern that the management plans for the Ugtam Nature Refuge and the Mongol Daguur Strictly Protected Area components of the property in Mongolia are still in the process of revision, and further requests the State Party of Mongolia to expedite their finalisation and to strengthen the resources and capacities available for the effective implementation of the updated management plans, once adopted;
10. Finally requests the States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2024, an updated joint report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the Committee at its 47th session.