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Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)

Lebanon
Factors affecting the property in 2019*
  • Financial resources
  • Housing
  • Human resources
  • Illegal activities
  • Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
  • Land conversion
  • Legal framework
  • Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
  • Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
  • Management systems/ management plan
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Absence of legislative framework and comprehensive management plan
  • Absence of coordination mechanisms
  • Illegal constructions and urban encroachments
  • Degradation of the mural paintings and buildings
  • Uncontrolled tourist development and absence of visitor management
  • Lack of resources for the management structure
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2019

Total amount granted: 500,000 USD from the Italian funds-in-Trust for the rehabilitation and valorization of the Qadisha Valley

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2019
Requests approved: 4 (from 1993-2004)
Total amount approved : 65,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2019**

June 2003: World Heritage Centre Reactive Monitoring mission; April 2012: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2019

On 23 January 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/850/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

  • Upon review of its statutes, the Qadisha Valley Management Committee is now the property’s legal management entity. It is presided by the Maronite Patriarchate and composed of representatives of the Lebanese and Mariamite religious orders, and the presidents of the federations of municipalities of Bcharreh and Zgharta. An executive director has been assigned, while all actions are carried out in coordination with the Directorate General of Antiquities;
  • Revision of the boundaries of the World Heritage property and its buffer zone is currently underway with the local authorities. These will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre once defined by the State Party;
  • Implementation of the project for the “Rehabilitation and Valorization of Ouadi Qadisha,” funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, is due to begin during 2019. The project is executed by the UNESCO Office in Beirut, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Antiquities. It envisions the rehabilitation of three trails and the conservation of two monuments;
  • The paved road project (Chaussée de Qadisha) has been endorsed by the authorities and a contractor has been selected. Execution works will begin in 2019 and will be overseen by the Directorate General of Antiquities in order to ensure that there is no impact of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
  • A project was implemented based on the agreement signed between the Maronite Patriarchate and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for the “restoration of traditional agriculture stone terraces for improvement of the cultural landscape values and rural livelihoods through sustainable value chains of local plant species.” Three sites were selected in Qadisha Valley to implement restoration models that could be replicated elsewhere in Lebanon. Works comprised cleaning of land, rehabilitation of stone terraces, plowing, planting, irrigation and fencing. Project outcomes include contribution to improved livelihoods and the promotion of economic activities.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2019

It is noted that a Management Committee has been established for the World Heritage property. Nevertheless, information has not been provided with regards to a permanent site management team and related resources for the adequate management of the property, including its continuing maintenance and conservation to ensure its long-term sustainability.

The ongoing revision of boundaries of the property and its buffer zone is well noted, and the intention of their submission once finalized in response to the retrospective inventory is welcomed. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to continue this process in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS, and submit a Boundary Clarification followed by a Minor Boundary Modification, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines, for review by the Advisory Bodies.

The project for the “Rehabilitation and Valorization of Ouadi Qadisha” falls within the framework of the Action Plan for the development of cultural assets of the Qadisha Valley and is envisaged to have positive impacts concerning sustainable tourism. Its components comprise the rehabilitation of trails, and hence the improvement of mobility within the valley, in addition to the conservation of structures, and the provision of training and workshops in the conservation of cultural assets.

The project implemented within the framework of the agreement with FAO also has a socio-economic contribution, in addition to the conservation and restoration components. The local residents showed interest in restoring their land, and there might be opportunities for replication of project activities. A prohibition on the use of machinery in this World Heritage property appears to pose a challenge due to the increase in time and effort needed to carry out activities manually, which, accordingly, leads to higher costs. Nevertheless, the rehabilitation and valorization project has shown that it improves livelihoods while also ensuring the conservation of traditional terraces and helping to promote responsible tourism.

It is noted that a number of activities have either been implemented or are underway within the framework of the agreed upon Action Plan and previous Committee decisions. Nevertheless, the State Party has not commented on the long-term implementation of the Action Plan in a holistic manner. Additionally, the dimension of creating sustainable development by integrating components of income generation for local communities has not been clearly addressed. It is therefore recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to ensure the urgent implementation of the Action Plan for the World Heritage property. It is also recommended that the State Party transmit to the World Heritage Centre, for examination by the Advisory Bodies, detailed information on future development work before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.

The World Heritage Centre received information from the UNESCO Office in Beirut regarding a new road being constructed in Hadshit Village without the approval of the Ministry of Culture/Directorate General of Antiquities. As per the information received, the road starts from Hadshit Cemeteries and goes into the Valley. On 4 April, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party recalling Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, On 10 April, the State Party replied confirming the halting of the construction works of the road. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies detailed information and a Heritage Impact assessment (HIA) on the project.

It is further recommended that the Committee request additional information on the management and coordination mechanisms in place to ensure the property’s long-term conservation and maintenance, as well as on the integration of a sustainable development dimension in future actions.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2019
43 COM 7B.49
Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab) (Lebanon) (C 850)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
  2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.82, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
  3. Welcomes the formal establishment of a Management Committee and requests further information on the structure and team entrusted with the day-to-day management of the property;
  4. Notes that a revision of the property and buffer zone boundaries is underway and also requests the State Party to pursue its finalization in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and to submit it as a Minor Boundary Modification, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
  5. Also notes that the project for the “Rehabilitation and Valorization of Ouadi Qadisha” is due to start during 2019, and that a project was implemented for the “restoration of traditional agriculture stone terraces for improvement of the cultural landscape values and rural livelihoods through sustainable value chains of local plant species”, with a socio-economic dimension;
  6. Urges the State Party to ensure the implementation of the Action Plan for the World Heritage property in a holistic manner, ensuring the integration of sustainable development components, and to inform the World Heritage Centre on the progress;
  7. Reminds the State Party about the need to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies, detailed information of the project and its HIA, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
  8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.
Draft Decision: 43 COM 7B.49

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7B,
  2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.82, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
  3. Welcomes the formal establishment of a Management Committee and requests further information on the structure and team entrusted with the day-to-day management of the property;
  4. Notes that a revision of the property and buffer zone boundaries is underway and also requests the State Party to pursue its finalization in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and to submit it as a Minor Boundary Modification, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
  5. Also notes that the project for the “Rehabilitation and Valorization of Ouadi Qadisha” is due to start during 2019, and that a project was implemented for the “restoration of traditional agriculture stone terraces for improvement of the cultural landscape values and rural livelihoods through sustainable value chains of local plant species”, with a socio-economic dimension;
  6. Urges the State Party to ensure the implementation of the Action Plan for the World Heritage property in a holistic manner, ensuring the integration of sustainable development components, and to inform the World Heritage Centre on the progress;
  7. Reminds the State Party about the need to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies, detailed information of the project and its HIA, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
  8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, 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 45th session in 2021.
Report year: 2019
Lebanon
Date of Inscription: 1998
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iii)(iv)
Documents examined by the Committee
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2018) .pdf
arrow_circle_right 43COM (2019)
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.


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