Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape

• Need to strengthen the legal protection status of the property 
• Inadequate management plan
• Need for a zonation which allows full protection of the key areas for biodiversity
• Need to guarantee the full participation of the local communities and of their traditional authorities in the management of the property

On 5 December 2017, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1475/documents/, providing the following information:

• While a strengthened legal protection status of the property remains pending, the creation of the Natural and Cultural Reserve of Ennedi (RNCE) is underway, with strong local support. The November 2016 site visit by a ministerial delegation enhanced local awareness and created momentum. A map of the proposed RNCE was submitted, which seems to indicate that the entire mountain chain of Ennedi, surrounded by a substantial buffer zone, would be included in the reserve;
• Conservation and management of RNCE will be ensured through a partnership agreement between the State Party and the African Parks Network (APN), funded by the European Union and other partners. The agreement will increase the availability of financial and human resources and should improve the ability to address Committee recommendations;
• Local participation, acknowledged as paramount to conservation, is formally ensured by local committees and a future local Governance Council with an advisory role;
• Funding constraints have prevented the effective implementation of the existing Management Plan (2014-2024) for the property and impeded the requested revision of the Plan. APN and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) conducted preparatory studies in 2016 to inform the future zonation to be reflected in a revised Management Plan. A botanical inventory, along with broader intentions to strengthen ecological monitoring, is foreseen as part of the consolidation of management;
• The report indicates that functional traditional management exists and that there are no imminent threats foreseen. Specific legal provisions are in place and considered adequate to protect cultural and natural heritage;
• Vandalism of rock art remains a serious challenge, while climate change is acknowledged as a concern likely to affect biodiversity;
• The State Party further notes that field missions and training on rock art in both Ennedi and Tibesti have taken place through the support of the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation via the Trust for African Rock Art (TARA);
• Preparations for the reintroduction of ostrich have advanced, and reintroductions of oryx and addax are being envisaged.

The large and remote property is sparsely populated and subject to limited immediate pressures. While the local extinction of many mammal species illustrates that the human presence has resulted in significant ecological impacts, traditional regimes and social control are in place, contributing to the management of the fragile natural and cultural resources. However, there are indications that grazing pressure is increasing in some parts of the property and, if left unchecked, could quickly escalate. Climate change could aggravate concerns by reducing water availability. The documented cases of vandalism of some of the rock art in the property are also of serious concern, and reports on rehabilitation should be made available. Tourism is being actively promoted as a local development option; if successful, this could bring local economic benefits, but could also bring additional pressure. To be prepared for emerging threats, it is therefore important that the government commitment to the conservation of the area be translated into tangible management and conservation actions to complement traditional natural resource management practices.

Since the submission of the State Party report, the agreement between the Republic of Chad and APN was signed on 19 February 2018 (https://www.african-parks.org/press-release/chad-ennedi-protected). As part of this agreement, the European Union and the Dutch Postcode Lottery have committed 7.7M euros to manage and restore RNCE. This funding provides an unprecedented opportunity to consider all Committee requests and recommendations and translate longstanding political commitment into action. The announced strengthening of the legal protection status can at last become a reality. This process should carefully consider the boundaries of the inscribed property, which were modified during the course of the evaluation. The property, as currently inscribed, does not include the northern part of the massif, leaving out important rock art sites, including the emblematic site of Niola Doa, and potentially important areas for biodiversity. At the time of inscription, the Committee recommended an extension of the property, in particular to protect important rock art sites in the north and north-western part of the Ennedi Massif. The creation of the RNCE provides an opportunity to address this recommendation and it is recommended that the Committee urge the State Party to consult with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies before finalizing the proposal for the boundaries of the RNCE so as to guarantee that all important areas are included and an appropriate buffer zone is foreseen. The map provided as part of the State Party report was of poor quality and does not allow a clear analysis.

The availability of funding and human resources through the RNCE partnership will also enable the overdue revision of the Management Plan, which should fully consider all previous Committee requests and recommendations in terms of zonation, preparedness for potential threats, local participation and respect for existing traditional knowledge and practices, as well as systematic and adequate documentation of the rock art sites.