Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara

• Lack of approved boundaries for the property and buffer zones linked to the land-use plans and appropriate protection
• Deterioration of the architectural heritage fabric
• Sea wave erosion
• Theft of stone from ruins for use as building material
• Lack of functioning local consultative committee
• Lack of implementation of the conservation and management plans
• Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation (lack of tourism development plan)

Deterioration and decay leading to the collapse of the historical and archaeological structures for which the property was inscribed 

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1586

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1586

Total amount granted: USD 201,390 from the Norwegian Funds-in-Trust for UNESCO rehabilitation project

On 1 December 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/144/documents/ and responds to previous Committee decisions as follows:

• Recommendations for the property from the 2013 joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission have been included in the Integrated Management Plan (IMP, 2016-2019), which is ongoing revision;
• Due to insufficient funds to implement the IMP, the completion of the overall land use and the establishment of boundaries of the property and a buffer zone have not been fully implemented;
• The State Party has mobilized funds to review and update the IMP for the property to accommodate the current Site Management Systems in the year 2023/2024. The review was scheduled to start in January 2023. The State Party commits to submitting an updated work plan to the World Heritage Centre;
• In updating the IMP, the State Party will consider previous Committee Decisions, enhance the governance of the property to better engage communities, stakeholders and partners in implementation processes, continue conservation works at the Gereza Fort, Malindi Seafront, Husuni Kubwa, and Makutani and extend the buffer zone of the property to cover Sanje ya Kati Island and Kilwa Kivinje;
• The State Party will comply with Paragraph 118bis of the Operational Guidelines when developing projects to enhance tourism to the property and submit the proposal to the World Heritage Centre for review by Advisory Bodies.

Additionally, on 18 August 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the implementation of a project, supported through International Assistance, to rehabilitate the stairs at the Husuni Kubwa Palace: “Elimination of waves and tides scouring action, restoration of stairs at Husuni Kubwa Palace and community awareness educational programme”. The project also included planting mangrove trees to reduce sea wave impacts, which were damaging the monument. Similar works related to climate change impact were implemented in the property to strengthen the coastal sea wall of the Oman Tower and the gabion wall of Gereza Fort in 2018. Finally, the State Party reports that the management of the property has been transferred from the Antiquities Division to Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority.

As a continued response to the threats the property faces related to the deterioration of the architectural fabric, the impact of climate change, notably from sea wave erosion, as well as the weak management system, the State Party is implementing some conservation projects, and climate mitigation actions as a response to the Committee decisions following the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2014.

With the support of UNESCO International Assistance, conservation and rehabilitation works were undertaken to consolidate the outside stairs of the Husuni Kubwa Palace and to plant mangrove trees to reduce and mitigate the impact of sea erosion in 2022. The action to mitigate the impact of climate change follows other important conservation work supported by the World Heritage Fund to restore the tower at Songo Mnara and the gabion wall of Gereza Fort. Sea wave action leading to coastal erosion remains a perennial threat to the property and the Committee may wish to request that the State Party provide an update on the effect of past mangrove planting and an assessment of the level of threat remaining.

The efforts of the State Party to allocate funds for the review of the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) of the property, as well as for having mobilized International Assistance for “The Review and the Update of the Integrated Management Plan for the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara to accommodate the Current Site Management Systems” are welcome.

While it is noted that the State Party agrees to the request of the Committee (Decision 44 COM.11) to consider and integrate several aspects in the new IMP, including but not limited to: the implementation of unimplemented targets and activities of the current IMP as previously requested by the Committee – notably for the better engagement of the communities, partners and stakeholders for good governance; and extension of the boundaries of the property and definition of an appropriate buffer zone – it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to expedite the implementation of the International Assistance Request to review the Integrated Management Plan, including the definition of the time frame of the IMP, finalize the detailed Land Use Plan, formulate a Sustainable Tourism Development Plan, and clarify the boundaries and the establishment of a buffer zone, and submit it to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies. These actions are all urgent in the light of the ambitions of the State Party to further develop tourism at the property.

It is further noted that the State Party commits to complying with the requirement of Paragraph 118bis of the Operational Guidelines to ensure that the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) with a strong archaeological focus are carried out before the development of tourism activities in the property for review by the Advisory Bodies.