Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Danube Limes (Western Segment)

• flooding (need to develop flood prevention or flood management measures)
• need to develop clear and consistent approach to reconstruction works
• need to introduce regulations in relation to wind farms or other infrastructure projects

N/A

On 4 December 2023, the States Parties submitted a joint report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1608/documents/. The report addresses the recommendations made at the time of the inscription of the property in 2021, as follows:

• Details are provided on the establishment of national and transnational management systems for the property in the three States Parties and on the first meeting of its International Management Group (IMG), supported by a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB);
• Proposals to establish buffer zones for the components which do not have one, have been submitted as minor boundary modifications by 1February 2024, with the exception of two components in Austria – Oberranna (a justification is provided for leaving the boundaries as they are) and Albing (the boundaries will be reviewed and modified following the completion of the geophysical survey in 2024);
• The IMG has commissioned the SAB to lead research and provide documentation on the Roman course(s) of the River Danube. The IMG has established a working group to develop guidelines for a defined approach to reconstruction works for all components, as these are halted in the property until a common approach agreed by ICOMOS and the States Parties is in place;
• With regard to deep ploughing, in all three States Parties the control of extensive agriculture is only possible on a voluntary basis. In Austria and Germany, initiatives are underway to purchase or lease land in order to withdraw parts of the property from destructive agricultural use;
• In terms of working with the relevant water and river authorities to develop flood prevention/management measures, in each State Party the management body of the property is involved in the planning process as a public body or is in close contact with the planning authorities;
• The SAB has commenced the development of a research framework for the property. It is estimated that the first phase (resource assessment) of this process will take two to three years;
• With regard to the identification and location of temporary camps, details of the survey and documentation at Iza are All identified temporary camps have appropriate legal protection as archaeological sites;
• Targeted re-excavations are not possible at Eining-Weinberg due to sensitive natural habitat at this location. At St Peter’s Church, the results of the geophysical survey are currently being evaluated;
• With regard to wind turbines around Carnuntum, a survey was carried out and it was concluded that wind turbines located in or in the immediate vicinity of the buffer zone to the south of this component, as well as visually intrusive, isolated wind turbines, will be removed at the end of their life cycle and new turbines will be located at a greater distance from the property. It has also been decided that no renewable energy facilities (wind and solar) will be installed between the component parts and the River Danube, and between Carnuntum and Bad Deutsch Altenburg;
• Details are provided of the measures taken by the respective site managers to strengthen outreach and community engagement on more components of the property;
• The need to conduct Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) will be discussed at the level of the transnational management group, based on the findings of the regular monitoring activities.

On 13 December 2022, the States Parties submitted an adjusted nomination to the World Heritage Centre, in conformity with Decision 44 COM 8B.24.

Progress has been made on several of the Committee’s recommendations at the time of inscription. Nevertheless, further follow-up by the States Parties is required to fully address them. The information on the establishment of national and international management systems for the property is well noted, as is the establishment of the SAB to support the work of the IMG on research issues. It would be helpful to clarify whether the SAB includes members from the other two States Parties in addition to experts from Austria. A key element of the SAB work programme is the establishment of a common database. This is essential to underpin the management of the property and specifically its research framework, of which the documentation of the Roman course(s) of the River Danube will be an important element.

The States Parties have submitted to the World Heritage Centre a request for minor boundary modifications to establish buffer zones for a small number of components (see Document WHC/24/46.COM/8B.Add), and it is anticipated that a similar request will follow for the Albing component.

The halting of further reconstruction work pending an agreed approach by the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and the three States Parties, is to be welcomed, as is the establishment by the IMG of a working group to develop guidelines for a defined approach to reconstruction work. It is recommended that the World Heritage Committee request the submission of draft guidelines to the World Heritage Centre for review by ICOMOS prior to finalisation.

Noting the information provided on deep ploughing, the Committee may wish to encourage the States Parties to develop a systematic and proactive approach as part of the management system of the property, promoting legal and policy mechanisms to prevent deep ploughing of the sensitive archaeological features or any other potentially damaging agricultural activities.

With regard to flood prevention and management measures, in line with its previous recommendation, the Committee should call for the strengthening of coordinated management with the relevant water and river authorities to develop integrated management plans for the property at national and transnational levels, including disaster risk assessment, prevention and management measures to control the flow of the Danube and to prevent or manage flooding of components and their settings.

With regard to the wind turbines around Carnuntum, the Committee’s recommendations appear to have been followed. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether a HIA has been carried out for the extension of the existing wind park outside the southern part of the buffer zone of the component in order to avoid any negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. Furthermore, the Committee may wish to remind the States Parties of its recommendation to introduce regulations to ensure that the landscape setting of other components is not compromised by new renewable energy installations or other infrastructure projects.

The States Parties should also be requested to develop appropriate legal frameworks to ensure that impact assessment processes are carried out in conformity with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context for all projects that may have an impact on the OUV of the property and that these are systematically reported to the World Heritage Centre in accordance with paragraphs 118bis and 172 of the Operational Guidelines.