Niokolo-Koba National Park
Factors affecting the property in 2014*
- Drought
- Ground transport infrastructure
- Illegal activities
- Invasive/alien terrestrial species
- Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
- Mining
- Translocated species
- Water infrastructure
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Poaching, capture and relocation of wildlife;
- Drying up of ponds, and invasive species;
- Illegal logging;
- Livestock grazing;
- Road construction project;
- Potential dam construction;
- Potential mining exploration and exploitation.
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
- Poaching
- Livestock grazing
- Dam construction project at Sambangalou
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4087
Corrective Measures for the property
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4087
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2014
Total amount approved : 147,125 USD
| 2004 | Extension du Site du PM du Niokolo Koba (Senegal) à la ... (Approved) | 9,984 USD |
| 2002 | Derby Eland Monitoring Programme (Approved) | 29,296 USD |
| 1991 | Purchase of 2 all-terrain vehicles to improve ... (Approved) | 45,000 USD |
| 1990 | Consultancy services for environmental and ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
| 1986 | Additional cost of radios ordered in 1985 for ... (Approved) | 6,196 USD |
| 1985 | Purchase of 4 portable radios for protection programme ... (Approved) | 9,618 USD |
| 1982 | Vehicles, camping equipment and radio communication ... (Approved) | 27,031 USD |
Missions to the property until 2014**
2001, 2007 and 2010: Joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN Reactive Monitoring missions
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2014
On 31 January 2014, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/153/documents. It concerns progress achieved in the implementation of the corrective measures:
- Strengthening effective surveillance through staff and logistical has permitted the extension of the area of the property covered by the patrols and the State Party has provided information on the number of offenders arrested in 2013;
- The 25 additional officers transferred to the property in March 2013 had training in, among others, anti-poaching methods. They were reinforced by 18 trainee agents;
- A steering committee for the park, open to all stakeholders, is being constituted. Several training and awareness-raising sessions with the local communities have been held in the framework of the project “Animal husbandry as livelihoods” in partnership with IUCN. This project aims to strengthen animal husbandry around the property and the improved conservation of natural resources;
- The ecological monitoring carried out in 2013 confirms the presence of elephants (3 individuals observed by camera trap) and chimpanzee (6 observations) but the rarity of these observations is a cause for concern. More regular observations of three key species rarely observed before (lion, African wild dog and the hartebeest) are encouraging. Achievinga general inventory of large and middle-size wildlife is scheduled for the beginning of 2014;
- A project to improve the boundary marking of the property is currently underway;
- Rehabilitation activities of the ponds in the perimeter of the property have been carried out to improve the quality of the grazing land available for the wildlife;
- Tracks and guard posts have been rehabilitated in the framework of the emergency plan for the rehabilitation of the park. A large amount of equipment has been made available including vehicles and communication equipment to improve control of the park;
- The State Party has provided no information on the Sambangalou dam project, nor on the rehabilitation of the basalt quarry located in the territory of the property and closed in 2012.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2014
The efforts undertaken by the State Party to reinforce surveillance and curb poaching that led several key species on the brink of extinction should be noted. The results of the ecological monitoring suggest that the situation of certain key species could be improving while that of the elephants and chimpanzees remains very worrying. However, these observations generally cover small number of individuals per species and the data simply indicates that some sectors of the Park still contain certain species without being able to assess precisely the number and their variation throughout the property. The inventory operation is crucial and a priority, and it is recommended that the State Party seek technical support from the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
Furthermore, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to invite an IUCN reactive monitoring mission as soon as the results of this inventory are available, recalling that the Committee had requested that such an inventory be carried out since its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010), because of its deep concern that the Outstanding universal value (OUV) of the property is seriously degraded and without such an inventory it would be impossible to evaluate the current state of the OUV, nor its potential to recover.
The Committee is recommended to encourage the State Party to rapidly formalise the steering committee for the park to associate more closely the different stakeholders of the territory concerned and in particular the local communities.
Finally, it is recommended that the Committee express its deep regret as regards the lack of information provided by the State Party concerning the dam project at Sambangalou and the restoration of the basalt quarry located within the property; and that the property be retained on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2014
38 COM 7A.46
Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) (N 153)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A,
- Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.13, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
- Welcomes the efforts of the State Party to strengthen surveillance and curb poaching, notably the progress achieved in the rehabilitation of the surveillance tracks and guard posts, as well as the strengthening of surveillance staff;
- Reiterates its serious concern as regards the state of conservation of the key species in the park, notably the elephant and chimpanzee and requests the State Party to urgently implement an inventory of large wildlife with technical support from the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and to invite an IUCN reactive monitoring mission to assess the state of conservation of the property as concerns the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger and to update the corrective measures once the results of the afore-mentioned inventory are available;
- Requests the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the corrective measures adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010);
- Further reiterates its request to the State Party to provide detailed information on the dam project at Sambangalou, as well as the restoration of the basalt quarry located within the property and closed in 2012;
- Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015;
- Decides to retain the Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
38 COM 8C.2
Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (retained sites)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-14/38.COM/7A and WHC-14/38.COM/7A.Add),
- Decides to retain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
- Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 38 COM 7A.14)
- Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Decision 38 COM 7A.15)
- Belize, Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Decision 38 COM 7A.31)
- Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.34)
- Chile, Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (Decision 38 COM 7A.21)
- Colombia, Los Katíos National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.32)
- Côte d'Ivoire, Comoé National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.35)
- Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 38 COM 7A.36)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.37)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.38)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.39)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Salonga National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.40)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 38 COM 7A.41)
- Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 38 COM 7A.1)
- Ethiopia, Simien National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.43)
- Georgia, Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (Decision 38 COM 7A.16)
- Georgia, Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (Decision 38 COM 7A.17)
- Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 38 COM 7A.33)
- Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 38 COM 7A.28)
- Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 38 COM 7A.2)
- Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 38 COM 7A.3)
- Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (Decision 38 COM 7A.4)
- Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 38 COM 7A.44)
- Mali, Timbuktu (Decision 38 COM 7A.24)
- Mali, Tomb of Askia (Decision 38 COM 7A.25)
- Niger, Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 38 COM 7A.45)
- Palestine, Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (Decision 38 COM 7A.5)
- Panama, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Decision 38 COM 7A.20)
- Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 38 COM 7A.22)
- Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.46)
- Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 38 COM 7A.18)
- Solomon Islands, East Rennell (Decision 38 COM 7A.29)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Damascus (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Bosra (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Site of Palmyra (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Aleppo (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Decision 38 COM 7A.12)
- Uganda, Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Decision 38 COM 7A.26)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (Decision 38 COM 7A.19)
- United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 38 COM 7A.30)
- Venezuela, Coro and its Port (Decision 38 COM 7A.23)
- Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 38 COM 7A.13)
Draft Decision: 38 COM 7A.46
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7A,
2. Recalling Decision 37 COM 7A.13, adopted at its 37th session (Phnom Penh, 2013),
3. Welcomes the efforts of the State Party to strengthen surveillance and curb poaching, notably the progress achieved in the rehabilitation of the surveillance tracks and guard posts, as well as the strengthening of surveillance staff;
4. Reiterates its serious concern as regards the state of conservation of the key species in the park, notably the elephant and chimpanzee and requests the State Party to urgently implement an inventory of large wildlife with technical support from the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and to invite an IUCN reactive monitoring mission to assess the state of conservation of the property as concerns the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger and to update the corrective measures once the results of the afore-mentioned inventory are available;
5. Requests the State Party to continue its efforts to implement the corrective measures adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010);
6. Further reiterates its request to the State Party to provide detailed information on the dam project at Sambangalou, as well as the restoration of the basalt quarry located within the property and closed in 2012;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2015, a detailed report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015;
8. Decides to retain the Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
SenegalDocuments examined by the Committee
38COM (2014)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.
