Decision 46 COM 7B.63

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (India) (N 338)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decisions 36 COM 7B.10, 38 COM 7B.65, 39 COM 7B.11, 41 COM 8B.36, 43 COM 7B.7, 44 COM 7B.185 and 45 COM 7B.83 adopted at its 36th (Saint Petersburg, 2012), 38th (Doha, 2014), 39th (Bonn, 2015), 41st (Krakow, 2017), 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions, and at its extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) and 45th (Riyadh, 2023) sessions respectively,
3. Welcomes that monitoring of key species indicates that the rhinoceros population in the property has remained stable, the tiger population has been increasing since 2006, and reintroduction efforts for pygmy hog continue species recovery, notes with appreciation the continued efforts to address poaching, and requests the State Party to continue anti-poaching efforts, implement systematic long-term monitoring for key species in the property, and to report on the status of monitoring in its next report;
4. Takes note of ongoing activities to benefit local communities including through eco-tourism and addressing alternative livelihoods and human-wildlife conflict through Eco-Development Committees, and encourages the State Party to report on further progress regarding the carbon financing initiative and benefits to the property;
5. Also notes with appreciation that no further agricultural encroachment has occurred in the property and that existing encroachment is reported to be under control, and also requests the State Party to continue to address encroachment pressure with due respect to social, economic and cultural rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, and respecting all relevant international norms, and to provide further details of such management activities;
6. Also takes note that habitat management continues to be guided by the Manas Tiger Conservation Plan, that objectives for an Action Plan to address the sustainable management of grassland woodland ecosystem have been identified and pilot studies to address invasive plant species have been implemented, and reiterates its requests for the State Party to provide a clear update regarding the finalisation and implementation of this Action Plan on the ground, including control measures against the spread of invasive plant species, notably Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha;
7. Further notes with appreciation the continued transboundary cooperation between the States Parties of India and Bhutan at the field level, and also encourages continued transboundary cooperation including regarding the possible consideration of a revised proposal for the extension of the property;
8. Reiterates its serious concern about the potential impacts of the Mangdechhu hydroelectric project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, and that this project is reported to have been jointly inaugurated by the government of India and the Royal government of Bhutan in August 2019, and deeply regrets that neither State Party has provided any information about the project, nor its Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan despite continued requests by the Committee since 2012;
9. Further requests that an online joint meeting between the States Parties of India and Bhutan, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN be convened no later than 1 December 2024 to clarify the current status of the Mangdechhu hydroelectric project, monitoring of any impacts on the OUV of the property, and any mitigation measures that are being implemented to assure the OUV of the property;
10. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2025, 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 48th session.