Old Walled City of Shibam
Factors affecting the property in 1993*
- Flooding
- Other Threats:
Poor maintenance
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Floods
- Poor maintenance
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1993
Total amount approved : 101,800 USD
| 1993 | Emergency measures regarding the drainage system Shibam ... (Approved) | 40,500 USD |
| 1993 | Financial contribution to organize an evaluation ... (Approved) | 9,500 USD |
| 1988 | 4 fellowships for specialists working on the World ... (Approved) | 31,800 USD |
| 1982 | Elaboration of a plan for the installation of a waste ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 1993**
October 1993: expert mission
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1993
The Yemeni Authorities put forward a request for emergency assistance amounting to US$ 40,000 following the floods which have seriously damaged a number of buildings within the World Heritage Site of Shibam. The Chairman of the World Heritage Committee approved an amount of US$ 9,500, sufficient for fielding an assessment mission to Shibam and report on the damage caused by the exceptional floods which have hit this property.
The mission was finally fielded at the beginning of October 1993 and is expected to report back in a few weeks so that the Committee will be able to receive detailed information on the findings.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1993
17 EXT.BUR V.B.2.3.1
Examination of requests for International Assistance - Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen)
B. CULTURAL HERITAGE
B.2 Requests for which the Bureau formulated a recommendation to the Committee
B.2.3 Emergency assistance
B.2.3.1 Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen)
The Bureau took note of the results of an expert mission that was fielded to Shibam in October 1993 and subsequently decided to recommend the Committee to approve the amount of US$ 40,500 under emergency assistance for emergency measures regarding the drainage system in Shibam (US$ 30,500) and expert services in this field (US$ 10,000).
17 COM X
SOC: Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen)
Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen)
Referring to the torrential rains in spring 1993 which affected a number of houses of the Old City of Shibam, the Director of the Division of Cultural and Physical Heritage and the Delegate of Germany presented the slides made by a German film producer who had visited the site. Emphasizing the different threats being faced by Shibam, they both drew the attention of Committee members to the importance of emergency assistance to repair the sewerage network, the modernisation of traditional irrigation systems and maintenance work to make the terraces of the 'tower-houses', which characterize this City, waterproof.
17 COM XIII.C
Requests for International Assistance: Emergency Assistance
C. Emergency Assistance
Cultural Heritage
Old Walled City of Shibam, Yemen
Having taken note of the state of conservation report presented by the Secretariat which clearly illustrated the emergency situation in Shibam, the Committee approved the request for emergency assistance for the amount of US$ 40,500 for emergency measures regarding the drainage system in Shibam (US$ 30,500) and expert services in this field (US$ 10,000). The Committee asked the Centre to inform the Yemeni authorities that they could submit an additional emergency request for consideration by the Bureau at its next session and to transmit its concern that maintenance programmes should be set up so as to avoid further damage to the site in the future.
No draft Decision
Yemen
Exports
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
