Old Towns of Djenné

• No management and conservation plan
• Pressure from urban development
• Deterioration of dwellings
• Waste disposal problems
• Encroachment of the archaeological sites
• Instable security situation

• 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

In progress

Adopted, see page  https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/6678   

In progress

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);

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.

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.