Keoladeo National Park

• Invasive/alien terrestrial species (Prosopis, Paspalum)
• Invasive/alien freshwater species (Eichhornia, Clarias gariepinus)
• Water (extraction)
• Water infrastructure
• Management system/management plan (Need to update the Management Plan; inadequate water management including insufficient water supply and quality and competition among different users; inadequate measures to systematically monitor bird populations)
• Solid waste (Disposal of cattle carcasses near the property)
• Other climate change impacts (High natural variability of rainfall)
• Other factor: Disappearance of Siberian cranes

Total amount provided to the property: USD 80,000 (“Enhancing Our Heritage” project on the assessment of management effectiveness). Between 2007 and 2015, the property has benefited from the World Heritage India programme, funded by the United Nations Foundation (which aims to enhance management effectiveness and build staff capacity, increase the involvement of local communities in the management of the property, promote sustainable development, and raise awareness through communications and advocacy)

On 1 December 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/340/documents and reports the following:

• The property receives water from the Chambal Pipeline Project, Govardhan Drain Pipeline and Pachna Dam. The region where the property is located has received good rainfall in previous years, therefore the park has received its minimum requirement of water for the wetland blocks. The park management continues to search for solutions to sustain adequate long-term water supply to the property;
• The State Forest Department (SFD) is fully committed to protecting the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. After receiving good rainfall in previous years and water from the aforementioned sources, the water supply from the Sewage Water Treatment Plant from Bharatpur city remains under consideration however no water has been released to the property yet. The Park administration understand the issues raised by the World Heritage Committee and would ensure a stringent monitoring system;
• The SFD is consulting with higher authorities regarding preparation of a Zonal Master Plan related to the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ);
• The revision of the Management Plan has now been completed.
• Management of invasive species Prosopis juliflora, Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), Paspalum distichum, African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and vetiver (Vetivaria zizanioides) continues. The SFD has allocated Rs 20.0 lakh (ca. USD 24,500) to the removal of P. juliflora under the annual plan of operation, with removal from different blocks undertaken by park management. The removal of African catfish is being continued with the help of the local community. The management plan of the property for the next ten years includes a dedicated chapter on a strategy to remove invasive species;
• The Park authorities conduct systematic monitoring of the heronry birds and waterfowl population inside the park, which provides important information to help the administration better manage bird habitat. A study of heronries using nest counts is done periodically. A waterfowl census involving local community volunteers is undertaken on foot. The monitoring of bird populations in the property and nearby area is planned and will be integrated and documented in the Management Plan;
• The disposal of cattle carcasses near the park has been banned by the civil administration. Park authorities have taken full measures to resolve the issue and continuously monitor the dumping ground.

From 13 to 17 February 2023, an IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission visited the property, the report of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/340/documents.

In line with previously raised concerns, the IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission highlighted that the overriding issue for the property remains to secure sufficient water supply to sustain its OUV. Whilst noting that the State Party has taken notable strides in the last decade to address this, the amount of available water in most years remains below the minimum level considered necessary. With the demand for water from other users (such as for agricultural and domestic purposes) continuing to increase, it is important to prevent further deterioration in the ecological status of the property and to restore its natural hydrological processes. It is therefore recommended that the State Party secure a long-term strategic solution to adequate water supply including by rapidly assessing the following: to clarify the water requirements for the property (i.e., a broadly accepted 550 million cubic feet (mcft) figure was identified in the 1980’s and the 2017-2027 Management Plan considers 650mcft to be necessary); clarify the hydrological processes related to the property; take into consideration the water quality of different water sources; and to facilitate water releases that ensure sufficient water reaches the property whilst a long-term solution is being secured. Although the State Party reports that sewage water treatment plants from Bharatpur city remain under consideration as a potential water source, the mission was assured that this is no longer the case. Water from these plants should not be considered unless there is clear evidence that the property’s hydrological integrity would not be compromised.

The mission noted that the revised 2017-2027 Management Plan for the property was approved in 2021, with eight management objectives addressing water quality, habitat restoration, protection of the property, maintaining and developing ecotourism, adopting a landscape level approach, local communities, research-based management and monitoring, and improving management efficiency. In particular, the Management Plan noted the challenge of water supply and articulation of work needed to address invasive species. However, the mission highlighted that an explicit link to the OUV remains missing, with a clear need to ensure that the actions in the Management Plan contribute explicitly and directly to the conservation of the OUV. For example, a statement to more clearly define the desired state of conservation for the property to achieve the Management Plan vision of restoring ‘full ecological glory’, as well as explicit management objectives, would be useful.

It is regrettable that the revised Management Plan was not submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN prior to its finalization and approval, as requested in Decision 44 COM 7B.92. Noting that the final Management Plan was provided during the mission, it is recommended the State Party review the Management Plan in line with the mission recommendations with a specific focus on the management of the OUV, to identify short term gaps in addressing challenges and urgent management needs, and to ensure timely development of an updated Management Plan that explicitly links actions to attributes that convey the OUV before its expiry in 2027. The 40th anniversary of inscription of the property in 2025 provides a timely opportunity.

The mission highlighted that there is no clear list of the attributes that convey the OUV, nor a long-term monitoring programme, which makes it difficult for authorities to be able to clearly monitor and assess changes in the OUV over time. It is therefore recommended to identify such attributes to inform the long-term monitoring, protection and management of the property.

Regarding bird monitoring, the mission highlighted that a scientifically-based monitoring programme that is based on the attributes is needed to guide management decisions, and that the current status of the Siberian Crane, which has not been recorded in the property since 2001/2002 and is considered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to be possibly extinct in the wider region, is appropriately reflected in monitoring, management and in its communication. The mission considered that there seems no prospect of the species overwintering at the property without restoration of the flyway and coordinated transboundary management at the regional scale.

It is positive that actions to address invasive species continue, including through the MP and a budget dedicated to P. juliflora, which remains a threat to the property’s integrity. It is recommended to establish a long-term adaptive management strategy for invasive species that takes into account the biological characteristics of P. juliflora, has a monitoring programme that allows evaluation of management impact and necessary responses, draws on scientific expertise such as the IUCN Species Survival Commission Invasive Species Specialist Group as needed, and where the actions proposed in the Management Plan are reviewed and harmonised with long-term needs.

Ongoing consultation for the preparation of a Zonal Master Plan for the ESZ is noted. It is recommended to continue encouraging the State Party to consider formalizing the area as a World Heritage buffer zone through a Minor Boundary Modification.

The State Party and the mission confirm that the cattle carcass disposal issue has been addressed.