Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove

• Urban development close to the property
• Road construction around the property
• Pollution of the Osun River
• Bush fires within the property
• Adverse impact of the commercialisation of the annual festival
• Fragility of spiritual, symbolic and ritual qualities of the Grove in the face of a growth in visitor numbers and the lack of a tourism management plan
• Road through property not re-aligned

In 2020: USD 50,000 from the UNESCO / Netherlands Funds-in-Trust for the Development of a Conservation Methodology, training, digital documentation and review of the Conservation Management Plan

On 29 January 2020, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1118/documents. The State Party reported progress in addressing the concerns of the Committee and the lack of implementation of the recommendations of the 2015 ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission as follows:

• Progress was made between 2016 and 2019 on the restoration and conservation of sculptures by the New Sacred Art Movement and the Oduni Olorisa Trust in collaboration with the National Council for Museums and Monuments;
• Cement is still being used to restore the sculptures, the larger ones with a mud core, as this is seen to be in line with the original construction methods;
• Funding for conservation is variously provided by the National Council for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), although not on a regular basis, by the Osun State Government and by the Adonis Olorisa Trust, an independent NGO;
• Digital documentation of all the sculptures was organised in October 2019 by the Aduni Olorisa Trust and implemented by CYARK; photographic surveys are also being undertaken of the sculptures as an aid to restoration;
• The State Government has agreed to carry out regular sampling of the polluted water from the Osun River and has embarked on a campaign to try to stop illegal dumping upstream from the property;
• The 2014-2019 Management Plan is being reviewed and a 2020-2024 Plan will be produced;
• The artists’ village was constructed in the buffer zone rather than in the property;
• No progress has been made with the re-alignment of the road to remove it from the property, but this project is still a priority for the State Government.

No details have been provided of regeneration work on the Sacred Forest or how the income from the Festival, or part of the sponsorship that it receives, can be directed to conservation work.

In line with the Committee’ recommendations, the State Party had invited a World Heritage Centre/ICCROM/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to consider conservation issues, the overall sustainable management of the property, and whether the threats facing the property could, in conformity with Paragraph 179 of the Operational Guidelines, support a case for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, but the mission, which was scheduled to take place from 9 to 13 March 2020 could not take place due to travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic and will be rescheduled as soon as circumstances permit.

The World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and ICCROM acknowledge the progress outlined by the State Party with regard to the funding and restoration of sculptures and their documentation.

The digital documentation project, which appears to have been a pilot project, will provide useful information and can be used at upcoming Festivals to raise awareness of the sculptures. It is not clear which parts of the property were covered but there is a need to continue this work. It is noted with appreciation that new funding could be secured to this end from the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust.

There remains concern that restoration of the sculptures still involves the use of cement. Although this was the original material used, it is susceptible to cracking and water ingress in the hot, humid, climatic conditions prevailing at the property. As the 2015 mission recommended, alternative materials need to be found that can provide a longer term solution to avoid the complete reconstruction of sculptures every other generation. A more flexible material is needed. There is an urgent need to address this issue and it is indeed unfortunate that work has been carried out since 2015 without the necessary advice having been taken.

Conserving the large number of shrines, sculptures and art works is an enormous task and a conservation programme needs to be set out that defines not only regular resourcing but also conservation methods that ensure effective use of resources.  A revised and improved conservation methodology, to be supported by the above-mentioned extrabudgetary funds, as well as a phased plan should be provided to ICOMOS for review before any further work is undertaken.

The pollution of the river water also remains a cause of concern. Although the Osun State has now agreed to carry out regular sampling and is urging residents not to dump waste upstream, more needs to be done. This problem was identified at the time of inscription in 2005, and in the intervening 15 years, many festival participants have been put at severe risk through drinking or washing in the polluted water. Although the river is seen as the ‘waters of life’ in Yoruba cosmology and is believed to have healing, protective and fertility powers, strong precautions must be put in place to prevent drinking directly from the river and actions have to be taken to improve the quality of the river water. The State Party is encouraged to work with traditional religious leaders to find a temporary solution that allows purified water to be given to festival participants.

The management system and sustainable funding still remain to be addressed. Although a revised Management Plan is promised, no details have been provided as to how this will be delivered, particularly in the context of ensuring a more inclusive management structure and adequate, regular funding to allow the Plan to be implemented and traditional craftspeople to be deployed on a regular basis. The previous plans provided some good tools but have not been fully implemented through lack of funding.

As yet, no arrangement has been made to allow some of the income from the annual Festival, or the sponsorship it attracts, to fund conservation. As around three quarters of the annual visitors come during the Festival, it seems incontrovertible that it should support promotion, management and conservation of the property. Such an approach could be defined in a cultural tourism management plan that was requested at the time of inscription.

The closure of the road through the centre of the property was in the Management Plan at the time of inscription. A viable alternative route for the road must be designed as soon as possible so that it is ready for implementation when funds are allocated.