W-Arly-Pendjari Complex

• Phosphate mining project (issue resolved)
• Dam project (issue resolved)
• Lack of monitoring of the implementation of the Management Plan
• Transhumance
• Insecurity
• Poaching

Total amount granted:  USD 40,000 from the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) in 2022;

USD 247,870 from the Government of Norway in 2020-2023

On 28 January 2022, the States Parties of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger submitted a joint report on the state of conservation of the property, and on 30 March 2023, they provided additional information available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/749/documents, which provides the following information:

• The property's surveillance system has been strengthened by increasing the number of brigades, creating a Special Water and Forestry Unit in Burkina Faso, training ecoguards and local communities and acquiring equipment (microlights, helicopters, drones, vehicles);
• Mixed cross-border surveillance patrols with defense and security forces have been strengthened to ensure the protection of the property in a worrying security context;
• In response to the deteriorating security situation, several major measures have been adopted, including: the implementation of the management delegation to Benin, the training of 32 Water and Forest agents and five National Armed Forces soldiers as part of the Priority Intervention Plan in Niger, the completion of a feasibility study for securing and developing the Burkinabe part of the property, and the signing of a military cooperation agreement between Benin and Niger;
• Within the framework of cross-border cooperation, the first Council of Ministers of the three countries was held in Niger on 13 April 2022, and the Executive Secretariat of the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (SE-WAP) and the Scientific Council were created by decree in 2022 as part of the implementation of the 2019 Tripartite Agreement;
• A number of initiatives to benefit local communities are being implemented with the support of various technical and financial partners, notably through the RBT-WAP/GIC-WAP programme;

• In the Beninese component of the property, major developments and constructions are planned (hotel, fencing, airstrip, access roads, rehabilitation of infrastructures), as well as the translocation of species. Environmental and Social Impact Studies have been carried out, and the implementation of identified mitigation measures is underway;
• A Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP) for the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex was adopted in November 2021;
• Significant progress has also been made towards sustainable financing of the property, with Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger joining the West African Savannah Foundation (WASF), which mobilizes endowment funds for the various country initiatives and regional activities;
• A roadmap was drawn up to finalize the buffer zone boundary map on a scale of 1/50,000 for submission at 1 December 2022;
• An agreed buffer zone has been defined for the W National Park in Niger, and the new map will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre;
• Aerial censuses carried out in 2019 and 2021 show that wildlife populations remain present in the property, but with different population trends depending on the species. While elephant and buffalo populations show a stable trend, a downward trend has been noted in all other large mammal populations (damalisque, bushbuck, hartebeest and antelope). However, the available data does not allow conclusions on trends to be drawn with any certainty.

A World Heritage Centre reactive monitoring mission was despatched to the property from 17 to 22 January 2022. The report of this mission is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/749/documents. It should be noted that, while the reactive monitoring mission had been planned as a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN mission in accordance with World Heritage Committee Decision 44 COM 7B.79, the IUCN expert was unable to physically participate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the mission was unable to visit the components of the property located in Burkina Faso and Niger for security reasons.

In February 2022, two deadly explosive device attacks were carried out against teams of rangers on patrol in the W National Park in Benin, resulting in the deaths of four rangers, two drivers, an instructor and a soldier, as well as 12 other people hospitalised with serious injuries. More information on these attacks is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2404/ and https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2420/. 

On 23 June 2023, the second Council of Ministers of the three countries was held in Benin at the WASF headquarters.

Analysis and conclusions of the World Heritage Centre and IUCN

The main conservation challenge remains the presence of armed groups in the area of the property, a consequence of the dramatic deterioration of the security situation in the Sahel region. The World Heritage Centre's reactive monitoring mission carried out in 2022 notes that the number of violent acts committed by armed groups has increased considerably since 2017. The presence of these armed groups, and the threat it represents, has forced management staff in Burkina Faso and Niger to abandon their positions in the property and retreat to localities and bases outside the property. The result is a lack of management on the ground in these areas of the property. The mission thus concluded that the property is facing serious threats which could have harmful effects on its essential characteristics and that the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is subject to potential danger in accordance with paragraphs 180b) iii) and 180b)iv) of the Operational Guidelines.

However, the Benin component of the property is still actively managed, but staff are under constant threat and there is a clear risk that insecurity will spread and affect management in this component as well, as illustrated by the two fatal attacks in the W National Park in Benin in February 2022. Similarly, other significant threats were noted by the mission, namely the expansion of the agricultural front, transhumance and the impact of climate change. However, while the presence of armed groups presents a considerable risk for the intensification of illegal activities such as poaching and gold panning, the extent of the negative impact of these activities on the OUV of the property and wildlife populations remains unclear. The findings of aerial censuses carried out in 2019 and 2021 show that wildlife populations remain ecologically viable, but the available data does not allow conclusions on trends to be drawn with certainty. It is recommended that the Committee requests the States Parties to carry out aerial censuses on a regular basis using the same methodology allowing comparison of results and consequently identification of trends.

In response to the security situation, the States Parties have deployed considerable resources at political, technical and field levels in an attempt to dislodge armed groups and restore order and security to the property and its area of influence. The various actions undertaken include strengthening the operational capacity of personnel, acquiring equipment, collecting and analyzing security information, stepping up surveillance patrols and joint operations with defense and security forces, supporting local communities and drawing up strategic framework and operational planning documents such as Priority Intervention Plans (PIP).

In addition, since the 2022 mission, the States Parties have announced additional efforts aimed at restoring security to the property and resuming management activities, including anti-poaching. It remains to be seen whether these measures will be effective in the short term. At the same time, the holding of the second Council of Ministers of the three countries on 23 June 2023 in Benin in support of joint efforts to secure and preserve the Transboundary Complex is noted, and it is recommended that the Committee encourage the States Parties to pursue their efforts with technical and financial partners involved with the property and appeal to the international community to support these efforts in order to ensure sustainable financing of the property, notably through the consolidation of the West African Savannah Foundation (WASF).

It should be noted that the mission faced a number of constraints, including the fact that IUCN was unable to participate physically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it was not possible to visit the Burkinabe and Niger components of the property due to the security situation on the ground. Although the mission confirms that the elements justifying the OUV remain present in the Benin component, the information and documentation available in the Burkina Faso and Niger components do not allow us to assess at this stage the extent of the impact of the presence of armed groups and illegal activities on the elements justifying the OUV in these components, including on the wildlife populations. In this regard, it is recommended that the World Heritage Committee request the States Parties to invite a new joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN reactive monitoring mission to address the gaps identified by the January 2022 mission, to assess the measures undertaken by the States Parties to restore security in the property and resume their management, and to determine whether the OUV is still subject to potential danger.

In addition, it is recommended that the Committee urge the States Parties to strengthen dialogue and communication with all stakeholders and to implement the recommendations of the 2022 reactive monitoring mission. These actions could be supported through an Emergency International Assistance request to the World Heritage Fund and the “Initiative to Support the Sustainable Management of the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex” financed by the Government of Norway, the first national technical consultation of which was held in Niger from 30 May to 1 June 2023 in preparation for the national technical consultations in Burkino-Faso and Benin, as well as the round table of financial and technical partners of the property.

The progress made in implementing the provisions of the Tripartite Agreement signed in 2019 for the harmonized management of the protected areas comprising the property illustrates a strengthening of transboundary cooperation for its effective management. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the three States Parties to continue their efforts to implement the provisions of the Agreement, in particular the provision of sufficient technical and financial resources for the proper functioning of the Executive Secretariat and the other governance bodies provided for therein.

The adoption of the CCAP for the property is a remarkable step forward. It is recommended that the Committee congratulate the States Parties on this major decision and encourage them to integrate the adaptation measures provided for therein into the various strategic framework and operational planning documents for the property's protected areas. Various infrastructure projects are underway or planned in the Benin component of the property. Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) have been carried out or are underway for these projects, but the vast majority have not addressed potential negative impacts on the property's OUV. It is therefore recommended that the Committee reiterate that all new projects should be subject to an ESIA, including a specific assessment of the potential negative impacts on the OUV of the property in accordance with the new "Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context”, before approval. In addition, the project to translocate species in the Pendjari National Park continued despite the reservations of the IUCN. It is important that future translocations strictly adhere to international standards, in line with the IUCN 2013 Guidelines on Conservation Translocations, to ensure their success.

Significant efforts have been made to finalize and submit the 1/50,000 buffer zone boundary map of the property, in response to Decisions 41 COM 8B.3 and 44 COM 7B.79, and initiatives are underway to modify the boundaries of the property to strengthen its protection.

In view of these conclusions, it is recommended that the Committee request the States Parties to submit an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and on the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations and other points, for examination by the Committee at its 46th session, in order to consider, in the absence of significant progress in meeting the above-mentioned conditions, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger. To support the efforts of the three States Parties, their engagement in a dialogue with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN on the state of the property, developments in the security situation and the international support needed to resolve the significant challenges facing the protection of the OUV of the property will be essential.

The main conservation challenge remains the presence of armed groups in the area of the property, a consequence of the dramatic deterioration of the security situation in the Sahel region. The World Heritage Centre's reactive monitoring mission carried out in 2022 notes that the number of violent acts committed by armed groups has increased considerably since 2017. The presence of these armed groups, and the threat it represents, has forced management staff in Burkina Faso and Niger to abandon their positions in the property and retreat to localities and bases outside the property. The result is a lack of management on the ground in these areas of the property. The mission thus concluded that the property is facing serious threats which could have harmful effects on its essential characteristics and that the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is subject to potential danger in accordance with paragraphs 180b) iii) and 180b)iv) of the Operational Guidelines.

However, the Benin component of the property is still actively managed, but staff are under constant threat and there is a clear risk that insecurity will spread and affect management in this component as well, as illustrated by the two fatal attacks in the W National Park in Benin in February 2022. Similarly, other significant threats were noted by the mission, namely the expansion of the agricultural front, transhumance and the impact of climate change. However, while the presence of armed groups presents a considerable risk for the intensification of illegal activities such as poaching and gold panning, the extent of the negative impact of these activities on the OUV of the property and wildlife populations remains unclear. The findings of aerial censuses carried out in 2019 and 2021 show that wildlife populations remain ecologically viable, but the available data does not allow conclusions on trends to be drawn with certainty. It is recommended that the Committee requests the States Parties to carry out aerial censuses on a regular basis using the same methodology allowing comparison of results and consequently identification of trends.

In response to the security situation, the States Parties have deployed considerable resources at political, technical and field levels in an attempt to dislodge armed groups and restore order and security to the property and its area of influence. The various actions undertaken include strengthening the operational capacity of personnel, acquiring equipment, collecting and analyzing security information, stepping up surveillance patrols and joint operations with defense and security forces, supporting local communities and drawing up strategic framework and operational planning documents such as Priority Intervention Plans (PIP).

In addition, since the 2022 mission, the States Parties have announced additional efforts aimed at restoring security to the property and resuming management activities, including anti-poaching. It remains to be seen whether these measures will be effective in the short term. At the same time, the holding of the second Council of Ministers of the three countries on 23 June 2023 in Benin in support of joint efforts to secure and preserve the Transboundary Complex is noted, and it is recommended that the Committee encourage the States Parties to pursue their efforts with technical and financial partners involved with the property and appeal to the international community to support these efforts in order to ensure sustainable financing of the property, notably through the consolidation of the West African Savannah Foundation (WASF).

It should be noted that the mission faced a number of constraints, including the fact that IUCN was unable to participate physically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it was not possible to visit the Burkinabe and Niger components of the property due to the security situation on the ground. Although the mission confirms that the elements justifying the OUV remain present in the Benin component, the information and documentation available in the Burkina Faso and Niger components do not allow us to assess at this stage the extent of the impact of the presence of armed groups and illegal activities on the elements justifying the OUV in these components, including on the wildlife populations. In this regard, it is recommended that the World Heritage Committee request the States Parties to invite a new joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN reactive monitoring mission to address the gaps identified by the January 2022 mission, to assess the measures undertaken by the States Parties to restore security in the property and resume their management, and to determine whether the OUV is still subject to potential danger.

In addition, it is recommended that the Committee urge the States Parties to strengthen dialogue and communication with all stakeholders and to implement the recommendations of the 2022 reactive monitoring mission. These actions could be supported through an Emergency International Assistance request to the World Heritage Fund and the “Initiative to Support the Sustainable Management of the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex” financed by the Government of Norway, the first national technical consultation of which was held in Niger from 30 May to 1 June 2023 in preparation for the national technical consultations in Burkino-Faso and Benin, as well as the round table of financial and technical partners of the property.

The progress made in implementing the provisions of the Tripartite Agreement signed in 2019 for the harmonized management of the protected areas comprising the property illustrates a strengthening of transboundary cooperation for its effective management. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the three States Parties to continue their efforts to implement the provisions of the Agreement, in particular the provision of sufficient technical and financial resources for the proper functioning of the Executive Secretariat and the other governance bodies provided for therein. 

The adoption of the CCAP for the property is a remarkable step forward. It is recommended that the Committee congratulate the States Parties on this major decision and encourage them to integrate the adaptation measures provided for therein into the various strategic framework and operational planning documents for the property's protected areas. Various infrastructure projects are underway or planned in the Benin component of the property. Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) have been carried out or are underway for these projects, but the vast majority have not addressed potential negative impacts on the property's OUV. It is therefore recommended that the Committee reiterate that all new projects should be subject to an ESIA, including a specific assessment of the potential negative impacts on the OUV of the property in accordance with the new "Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context”, before approval. In addition, the project to translocate species in the Pendjari National Park continued despite the reservations of the IUCN. It is important that future translocations strictly adhere to international standards, in line with the IUCN 2013 Guidelines on Conservation Translocations, to ensure their success.

Significant efforts have been made to finalize and submit the 1/50,000 buffer zone boundary map of the property, in response to Decisions 41 COM 8B.3 and 44 COM 7B.79, and initiatives are underway to modify the boundaries of the property to strengthen its protection.

In view of these conclusions, it is recommended that the Committee request the States Parties to submit an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and on the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations and other points, for examination by the Committee at its 46th session, in order to consider, in the absence of significant progress in meeting the above-mentioned conditions, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger. To support the efforts of the three States Parties, their engagement in a dialogue with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN on the state of the property, developments in the security situation and the international support needed to resolve the significant challenges facing the protection of the OUV of the property will be essential.