Comoé National Park
Factors affecting the property in 2021*
- Fire (widlfires)
- Illegal activities
- Land conversion
- Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
- Management systems/ management plan
- Other Threats:
Boundaries: reduction of the surface of the Park
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Conflict and political instability (issue resolved)
- Lack of management control and of the accesses to the property
- Poaching
- Encroachment: human occupation and agricultural pressure
- Bush fires
- Illegal gold panning
- Boundaries: reduction of the surface of the Park
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
- Political and military crisis in Côte d’Ivoire from 2002 to 2010
- Poaching of wildlife and fires caused by poachers
- Over-grazing by large cattle herds
- Absence of effective management mechanism
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/1050
Corrective Measures for the property
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4981
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4981
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2021
Total amount granted: USD 50,000 from the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme and Rapid Response Facility
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2021
Total amount approved : 121,425 USD
| 2020 | Appui au renforcement de la surveillance et à la lutte ... (Approved) | 24,425 USD |
| 1999 | Strengthening the Protection of the Comoe National Park (Approved) | 50,000 USD |
| 1993 | Purchase of an all-terrain vehicle for Comoe National ... (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
| 1988 | Purchase of a vehicle for Comoe National Park (Approved) | 17,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2021**
January 2013: IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission; June 2006: Joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN monitoring mission; April 2017: Joint UNESCO/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2021
The State Party has continued its efforts in terms of improving the surveillance mechanism and the ecological monitoring of the property, strengthening the human and technical capacities of the management team of the property, enforcing the laws, and effectively involving neighboring communities in the management of the property. In response to decision 43 COM 7B.32 of the World Heritage Committee, efforts have been made to eradicate intrusion of livestock inside the property, reduce conflict with farmers/stock breeders, rehabilitate some degraded areas, improve income for producers and thus limit the extension of cashew plantations. The creation of local Committees managing agro-pastoral facilities has also contributed to improving the participatory management of the natural resources on the periphery of the property.
The State Party has firmly committed to eradicating mining within the property by deploying regular foot and motorized patrols with air support. In this context, the extent of human pressures that made it difficult to restore and improve the population of large mammal species is gradually being reduced, in line with performance indicators established in the management plan (2015-2024). The results of the aerial inventories (2014, 2016 and 2019) confirm that there is a better control of major pressures such as transhumance, an increase in the numbers of large fauna and the gradual recolonization of the entire property by animal species representative of the park.
Lastly, the confirmation by the State Party that no mining project is currently underway in the immediate vicinity of the property, and the assurance that the social and environmental impact assessments of all future mining projects or other infrastructure development projects will take into account the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property are positive developmentsAnalysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2021
As indicated in previous decisions, the State Party is invited to fully comply with the requirements of Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines and inform the World Heritage Centre in good time of any major development project that may have a negative impact on the OUV of the property before any irreversible decision is taken. Finally, the final clarification concerning minor boundary modifications to the property should be coordinated with the World Heritage Centre in consultation with IUCN.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2021
44 COM 7B.200
7B.III. OMNIBUS
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
- Takes note with satisfaction of the measures taken by the States Parties concerned to address its previous requests to mitigate the threats on the Outstanding Universal Value of the following World Heritage properties:
- The Great Wall (China) (C 438)
- Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire) (N 227)
- Taï National Park (Côte d’Ivoire) (N 195)
- Encourages the States Parties concerned to pursue their efforts to ensure the conservation of World Heritage properties;
- Recalling the benefits to States Parties of systematically utilizing Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in the review of development projects, encourages States Parties to integrate the EIA/HIA processes into legislation, planning mechanisms and management plans, and reiterates its recommendation to States Parties to use these tools in assessing projects, including assessment of cumulative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value of properties, as early as possible and before any final decision is taken;
- Reminds the States Parties concerned to inform the World Heritage Centre in due course about any major development project that may negatively impact the Outstanding Universal Value of a property, before any irreversible decisions are made, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.
Draft Decision: 44 COM 7B.200
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
- Takes note with satisfaction of the measures taken by the States Parties concerned to address its previous requests to mitigate the threats on the Outstanding Universal Value of the following World Heritage properties:
- The Great Wall (China) (C 438)
- Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire) (N 227)
- Taï National Park (Côte d’Ivoire) (N 195)
- Encourages the States Parties concerned to pursue their efforts to ensure the conservation of World Heritage properties;
- Recalling the benefits to States Parties of systematically utilizing Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in the review of development projects, encourages States Parties to integrate the EIA/HIA processes into legislation, planning mechanisms and management plans, and reiterates its recommendation to States Parties to use these tools in assessing projects, including assessment of cumulative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value of properties, as early as possible and before any final decision is taken;
- Reminds the States Parties concerned to inform the World Heritage Centre in due course about any major development project that may negatively impact the Outstanding Universal Value of a property, before any irreversible decisions are made, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.
Côte d'Ivoire
Documents examined by the Committee
44COM (2021)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.
