Cape Floral Region Protected Areas

• Invasive species
• Fires
• Climate change
• Need to finalize a property-wide integrated management plan
• Strengthen governance arrangements to improve coordination
• Ensure adequate financial resources for the property’s management

On 30 November 2017, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1007/documents/, and provides an update on the previous Committee Decision as follows:

• Budget allocations for the three management authorities of the property are sufficient, as confirmed by the results of the Protected Area Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT);
• Since 2016, the Joint Management Committee (JMC) meetings are attended by the Chief Executive Officers of the three management authorities thereby improving coordination, efficiency of decision-making and mobilization of funds;
• The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) has been developed and funding secured. The EMF will assist in determining the effectiveness and potential additions to the buffer zone for each of the 13 clusters, and will act as a tool to inform the development of the Spatial Development Framework (SDF);
• Management plans for all protected areas forming part of the 13 clusters of the serial property will be completed by 31 December 2019, after which an overarching Integrated Management Plan (IMP) will be developed.

In April and June 2017, the World Heritage Centre transferred 3rd party information to the State Party regarding concerns for a proposed temporary relocation area of communities inside the property, reportedly in a sensitive vegetation area. The State Party has responded that it is engaging with all relevant stakeholders to explore alternative land to accommodate housing needs, and confirmed that the World Heritage Centre will be continuously updated on the outcomes. 

In a letter dated 21 February 2018, the World Heritage Centre requested comments from the State Party regarding reports that water extraction from the Table Mountain Group Aquifer may have potential impacts on the property’s OUV. At the time of writing this report, a response from the State Party had not yet been received.

The sufficient allocation of financial and human resources is critical for the successful management of the property, and the Committee noted the need to address the longstanding shortfalls in financial resources in its Decision 39 COM 8B.2. The State Party’s update that budget allocations are sufficient is therefore noted, and it is welcomed that the governance arrangements have been strengthened to improve the coordination of the JMC. It is important to ensure that there is a continued and sufficient allocation of funds to enable effective management, including in response to any changing management needs.

It is appreciated that the ToR for the EMF are now available and funding secured; however, progress has been slow. Although the 2015 IUCN Evaluation report mentioned that the EMF would function as an IMP for the property, it appears that the scope of the EMF has now changed, with the IMP now identified as a separate product to assess the effectiveness and possible additions to the buffer zone and inform the development of the Spatial Development Framework (SDF). This may be workable, but as noted in IUCN’s Evaluation report, the development of the IMP to provide a property-wide management strategy is urgently required. The delay until 31 December 2019 to start on the IMP, only once all of the protected area management plans have been completed, is therefore of concern. It is therefore recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to speed up the processes to the extent possible.

The State Party’s efforts to identify alternative land to accommodate housing needs through stakeholder engagement are noted. Given the fragile nature of the Fynbos vegetation and the potential impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, it is also recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to ensure that no land within the property is used for relocation projects, and to keep the World Heritage Centre informed of these discussions.

The reported plans for water extraction from the Table Mountain Group Aquifer, which may have potential impacts on the property’s OUV, are noted with concern. While acknowledging the seriousness of the water shortage in the region, it is recommended that the Committee also urge the State Party to enforce a moratorium on drilling in the high sensitive areas and to assess the impacts of water extraction on the OUV of the property in all proposed areas adjacent to the property before deciding to go ahead with these plans.