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Old Towns of Djenné

Mali
Factors affecting the property in 2023*
  • Civil unrest
  • Housing
  • Land conversion
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Solid waste
  • Other Threats:

    Deterioration of dwellings

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • No management and conservation plan
  • Pressure from urban development
  • Deterioration of dwellings
  • Waste disposal problems
  • Encroachment of the archaeological sites
  • Instable security situation
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
  • Serious deterioration of materials in the historic town and continued decay at the archaeological sites
  • Inappropriate interventions
  • Erosion of the architectural coherence of the town
  • Lack of enforcement and implementation of regulatory and planning tools
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger

In progress

Corrective Measures for the property
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures

In progress

UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2023

Total amount granted: USD 110,000 (Italian Funds-in-Trust); USD 23,100 (Croisi Europe); USD 86,900 (European Commission); USD 83,147. (Netherlands Funds-in-Trust); USD 71,090 (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation); 75,000 Euros (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation);

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2023
Requests approved: 7 (from 1981-2020)
Total amount approved : 115,119 USD
Missions to the property until 2023**

2002, 2005: World Heritage Centre missions; 2006: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Reactive Monitoring mission; 2014, 2016: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring missions; April 2017: UNESCO Expert mission to assess the state of conservation of Mali's World Heritage properties

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2023

On 31 January 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation, (available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/116/documents/), providing the following information:

Concerning the archaeological sites of Djenné-Djeno, Hambarkétolo, Kaniana and Tonomba:

  • The individual title deeds of 2019 are referenced on notice boards to raise awareness about heritage safeguarding;
  • Site visits with security forces have reduced looting, and the town hall authorities plan to improve monitoring;
  • Measures are being taken against the illegal occupation of the Kaniana site;
  • Protective fencing is being installed as a test in areas with a high presence of artefacts;
  • Site mapping is being prepared;

Concerning the old fabric of the town:

  • The community has rehabilitated monumental houses at its own expense;
  • District advisors are raising awareness among the population via local radio broadcasts;
  • A maintenance manual for houses is being implemented;
  • The redefinition of the boundaries of the buffer zones and the installation of signs has resulted in better protection of the property;
  • Construction in the buffer zone has been reduced and modifications to the old earthen buildings with modern materials are prohibited;
  • Illegal construction on the edges of the sites has been noted;
  • New constructions in the ancient fabric are harmoniously integrated;
  • To prevent the illegal occupation of the riverbanks, lots for residential use and social housing have been distributed;
  • The difficulties in setting up material banks illustrate the climate change that impacts the production of rice bran and the plasticity of the land for banco, which is extracted far from the town;
  • Awareness-raising among the local community on its role in the management of the property is being pursued;
  • Work on the inventory of the houses continues;
  • The European Union project has helped to promote the purchase of local materials for the benefit of the local economy;
  • The 2018-2022 conservation and management plan of the property will require an evaluation to better integrate the corrective measures.

Several difficulties were identified:

  • Lack of space in the ancient fabric of the town;
  • The use of houses for animal husbandry;
  • Difficulties in ensuring the maintenance of the houses of the most vulnerable;
  • The sealing of banco houses with cement;
  • The collapse of abandoned houses;
  • The proliferation of tin and sheet metal sheds;
  • The disorderly use of signs without authorization;
  • The construction of solid houses.

The work on the development of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) carried out since 2022 will be finalized during 2023.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2023

The State Party's report notes the continuity of the efforts made over several years to maintain constant management and conservation of the property, accompanied by a growing mobilization of the local community through neighbourhood councillors and a responsiveness of the more sensitized population. In a context of persistent insecurity in the central region of Mali, this observation applies to the protection of the archaeological sites as well as to the ancient fabric of the town, and it should be recognized that this is also due to the site’s management team, whose long-term commitment greatly benefits the achievement of positive impacts.

The information provided on the four archaeological sites is appreciated insofar as it allows for an appreciation of both the efforts and the many persistent difficulties in protecting, monitoring and securing them against looting or illegal occupation. The State Party is to be commended for this, but the still unresolved problem of insufficient technical and financial resources for monitoring and awareness-raising, as well as for the overall management and conservation needs of the property, remains a concern that the State Party should endeavour to address.

Noting that the management and conservation plan for the property expired in 2022 and will need to be updated, the Committee should request the State Party to submit the proposed updated management plan to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Advisory Bodies.

Concerning the ancient urban fabric, various factors such as lack of space, the use of houses for animal husbandry, the sealing of adobe houses with cement and the collapse of abandoned houses, are still points of concern, as are the disorderly use of signs without authorization and the construction of solid houses. However, the information that the town of Djenné has been able to mobilize its own funding to rehabilitate several monumental houses, coupled with the commitment and awareness of the various actors, can provide reassurance that the traditional and customary conservation mechanisms are still in place, and that the expectations previously placed on UNESCO to take charge of conservation measures have diminished. The work on the inventory of houses continues, and the State Party mentions abandoned houses in particular. The purpose of the inventory is to inform conservation and repair. It would be useful if a sample of this inventory could be submitted. Documentation is also needed for work undertaken on the rehabilitation and conservation of houses in order to record traditional methods and materials and thus contribute to the understanding of authenticity.

In this respect, it is commendable that a maintenance manual for houses will be produced, that decorative modifications with 'modern' materials will be banned, that new constructions will be harmoniously integrated into the ancient fabric, and that housing lots and social housing have been distributed.

However, in order to be able to appreciate all this information in more detail beyond the written statements in the State Party's report, it would be particularly beneficial if, in future, the State Party's reports were more fully illustrated with photographs and other materials. This seems all the more useful as for several years a reactive monitoring mission, as requested by the Committee, has not been able to visit the property to assess its state of conservation and the progress made in the implementation of corrective measures.

It is noted that the development of the DSOCR is being finalized. This finalization is accompanied by a programme of capacity building and remote and on-site support, led by the organization CRAterre-ENSAG (Grenoble/France), in partnership with the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DNPC), targeting all three Malian properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger ('Tomb of Askia', 'Timbuktu' and 'Ancient towns of Djenné'). This programme is implemented within the framework of the World Heritage Centre "Strategy to develop the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger in the Africa region 2021-2025", and is financially supported by the Government of Norway. This work is welcomed in the current context of insecurity in central and northern Mali, and will further orient the property towards a state of conservation favouring its removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

In the meantime, it is recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2023
45 COM 7A.22
Old Towns of Djenné (Mali) (C 116rev)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A,
  2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.1 adopted at its 44th extended session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
  3. Appreciates the efforts made by the State Party to maintain constant management and conservation of the property, as well as the mobilization and responsiveness of the local communities, both for the protection of the archaeological sites and for the ancient fabric of the town;
  4. Also appreciates the measures taken at the four archaeological sites for their protection, monitoring and security against looting or illegal occupation, but requests the State Party to resolve the persistent problem of insufficient technical and financial means of the Cultural Mission of Djenné for the overall management and conservation needs of the property;
  5. Notes that the management and conservation plan of the property expired in 2022, and requests the State Party to submit the updated draft management plan to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Advisory Bodies;
  6. Expresses its concern about the various observations made regarding the ancient fabric of the town, such as the lack of space, the use of houses for animal husbandry, the sealing of banco houses with cement and the collapse of abandoned houses, the disorderly use of unauthorized signs and the construction of solid houses, but welcomes the fact that the town of Djenné has mobilized its own funding to rehabilitate several monumental houses, promoting traditional and customary conservation mechanisms, and encourages the State Party to continue to raise awareness among all actors to maintain this momentum;
  7. Welcomes the continued work on the inventory of houses, with particular emphasis on abandoned houses, notes that the purpose of the inventory was to inform conservation and repair, and requests the State Party to submit a sample of the inventory and identify its scope;
  8. Encourages the State Party to ensure that the rehabilitation and conservation work of the houses is recorded and documented, in particular with regard to the use of traditional methods and materials, as part of the authenticity of the property;
  9. Takes note that a guide for the maintenance of the houses will be drafted, that decorative modifications with ‘modern’ materials are forbidden, and that housing lots and social housing have been distributed to the most vulnerable;
  10. Requests the State Party, in order to better appreciate in more detail all the information provided in its reports, to include, in future, more illustrations with photographs and other materials, especially as a reactive monitoring mission has still not been able to visit the property to assess its state of conservation and the progress made in the implementation of corrective measures;
  11. Expresses its appreciation that a programme of capacity building and remote and field assistance, supported by the World Heritage Fund, for the development of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) for each of the three Malian properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, is being finalized;
  12. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, 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 46th session;
  13. Decides to retain Old Towns of Djenné (Mali) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
45 COM 8C.2
Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (Retained Properties)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC/23/45.COM/7A, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.3, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.4),
  2. Having examined the recommendations of the Advisory Bodies, decides to retain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
  • Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Decision 45 COM 7A.51)
  • Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 45 COM 7A.52)
  • Austria, Historic Centre of Vienna (Decision 45 COM 7A.55)
  • Bolivia (Plurinational State of), City of Potosí (Decision 45 COM 7A.18)
  • Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.3)
  • Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.4)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.5)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.6)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.7)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.8)
  • Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 45 COM 7A.26)
  • Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.1)
  • Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 45 COM 7A.15)
  • Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 45 COM 7A.27)
  • Iraq, Hatra (Decision 45 COM 7A.28)
  • Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 45 COM 7A.29)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (site proposed by Jordan) (Decision 45 COM 7A.31)
  • Kenya, Lake Turkana National Parks (Decision 45 COM 7A.10)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Decision 45 COM 7A.33)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (Decision 45 COM 7A.34)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Sabratha (Decision 45 COM 7A.35)
  • Libya, Old Town of Ghadamès (Decision 45 COM 7A.36)
  • Libya, Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Decision 45 COM 7A.37)
  • Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 45 COM 7A.11)
  • Mali, Old Towns of Djenné (Decision 45 COM 7A.22)
  • Mali, Timbuktu (Decision 45 COM 7A.23)
  • Mali, Tomb of Askia (Decision 45 COM 7A.24)
  • Mexico, Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (Decision 45 COM 7A.2)
  • Micronesia (Federated States of), Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (Decision 45 COM 7A.53)
  • Niger, Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 45 COM 7A.12)
  • Palestine, Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Decision 45 COM 7A.39)
  • Palestine, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (Decision 45 COM 7A.38)
  • Panama, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Decision 45 COM 7A.19)
  • Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 45 COM 7A.20)
  • Romania, Roșia Montană Mining Landscape (Decision 45 COM 7A.56)
  • Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.13)
  • Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 45 COM 7A.57)
  • Solomon Islands, East Rennell (Decision 45 COM 7A.16)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Aleppo (Decision 45 COM 7A.40)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Bosra (Decision 45 COM 7A.41)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Damascus (Decision 45 COM 7A.42)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Decision 45 COM 7A.43)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Decision 45COM 7A.44)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Site of Palmyra (Decision 45 COM 7A.45)
  • United Republic of Tanzania, Selous Game Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.14)
  • United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.17)
  • Uzbekistan, Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (Decision 45 COM 7A.54)
  • Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Coro and its Port (Decision 45 COM 7A.21)
  • Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 45 COM 7A.47)
  • Yemen, Old City of Sana’a (Decision 45 COM 7A.49)
  • Yemen, Old Walled City of Shibam (Decision 45 COM 7A.50)
3.    Recalls that the following properties were inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger at its 18th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2023):
  • Lebanon, Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.1)
  • Ukraine, The Historic Centre of Odesa (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2)
  • Yemen, Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.3)
Draft Decision: 45 COM 7A.22

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A,
  2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.1, adopted at its 44th extended session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
  3. Appreciates the efforts made by the State Party to maintain constant management and conservation of the property, as well as the mobilization and responsiveness of the local communities, both for the protection of the archaeological sites and for the ancient fabric of the town;
  4. Also appreciates the measures taken at the four archaeological sites for their protection, monitoring and security against looting or illegal occupation, but requests the State Party to resolve the persistent problem of insufficient technical and financial means of the Cultural Mission of Djenné for the overall management and conservation needs of the property;
  5. Notes that the management and conservation plan of the property expired in 2022, and requests the State Party to submit the updated draft management plan to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Advisory Bodies;
  6. Expresses its concern about the various observations made regarding the ancient fabric of the town, such as the lack of space, the use of houses for animal husbandry, the sealing of banco houses with cement and the collapse of abandoned houses, the disorderly use of unauthorized signs and the construction of solid houses, but welcomes the fact that the town of Djenné has mobilized its own funding to rehabilitate several monumental houses, promoting traditional and customary conservation mechanisms, and encourages the State Party to continue to raise awareness among all actors to maintain this momentum;
  7. Welcomes the continued work on the inventory of houses, with particular emphasis on abandoned houses, notes that the purpose of the inventory was to inform conservation and repair, and requests the State Party to submit a sample of the inventory and identify its scope;
  8. Encourages the State Party to ensure that the rehabilitation and conservation work of the houses is recorded and documented, in particular with regard to the use of traditional methods and materials, as part of the authenticity of the property;
  9. Takes note that a guide for the maintenance of the houses will be drafted, that decorative modifications with ‘modern’ materials are forbidden, and that housing lots and social housing have been distributed to the most vulnerable;
  10. Requests the State Party, in order to better appreciate in more detail all the information provided in its reports, to include, in future, more illustrations with photographs and other materials, especially as a reactive monitoring mission has still not been able to visit the property to assess its state of conservation and the progress made in the implementation of corrective measures;
  11. Expresses its appreciation that a programme of capacity building and remote and field assistance, supported by the World Heritage Fund, for the development of the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) for each of the three Malian properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, is being finalized;
  12. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, 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 46th session;
  13. Decides to retain Old Towns of Djenné (Mali) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Report year: 2023
Mali
Date of Inscription: 1988
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iii)(iv)
Danger List (dates): 2016-present
Documents examined by the Committee
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2022) .pdf
Initialy proposed for examination in 2022
arrow_circle_right 45COM (2023)
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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