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State of Conservation Air and Ténéré Natural ... 2005

Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves

Niger
Factors affecting the property in 2005*
  • Civil unrest
  • Illegal activities
  • Management systems/ management plan
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports

Political instability and civil strife, management constraints, ostrich poaching.

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2005
Requests approved: 6 (from 1999-2002)
Total amount approved : 142,450 USD
2002 Confection des plaques de commémoration de 2 sites ... (Approved)   450 USD
2000 Préparation d’un dossier d'inscription du site de l’Aïr ... (Approved)   15,000 USD
1999 Financial support for the implementation of the ... (Approved)   75,000 USD
1999 Action plan for the implementation of Urgent ... (Approved)   12,000 USD
1999 Action plan for the implementation of Urgent ... (Approved)   20,000 USD
1999 National Sensitising Seminar for the Personnel Charged ... (Approved)   20,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2005**

1998 UNESCO mission.

2001 Rapport de la mission d'évaluation rapide de la faune des Réserves naturelles de l'Aïr et du Ténéré
2001 Donor mission Report, Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves
1998 WHC / IUCN mission report, Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves
1997 Mr. André Bourgeot mission report, Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves
1995 Preliminary report on Aïr et Ténéré, WHC
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2005

During its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), the Committee reiterated its concern that no report had been provided on the theft of the vehicles financed under the World Heritage Fund and on the implementation of the rehabilitation plan for the property. The State Party addressed a letter to the World Heritage Centre on 7 December 2004, with a copy of the report prepared by the Ministry for National Defence of Niger, in which it was stipulated in particular that the vehicles had been stolen from their legal owners, on 19 March 2002, following an armed assault. No report was provided on the state of conservation of the property.

The mission requested by the Committee at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003) to evaluate the implementation of the rehabilitation plan had had to be postponed because of organisational difficulties and security reasons. At the time of preparation of this document, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN are organising this evaluation mission, in cooperation with the State Party. The outcome of this mission, which should take place before the 29th session, will be presented during the Committee session, and a revised draft decision could be proposed to take account of the conclusions.

Furthermore, IUCN and the State Party are collaborating on the implementation of the project financed by the Global Environment Facility, which focuses on the Aïr and Tenéré Natural Reserves (RNNAT) and its associated areas (Tabelote, Timia, Tintelous and Iférouane), constituting 20 million hectares of the Biosphere Reserve, including the seven million hectares of the World Heritage site. The current preparatory phase of the project proposes a 12-year project focused on halting the degradation of Saharan ecosystem lands of the northern part of Niger through an integrated local development and decentralisation process.

Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2005
29 COM 7A.6
Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Niger)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A and the Draft Decision 29 COM 7A.6.Rev,

2. Recalling Decision 28 COM 15A.6 adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), as well as Decision 27 COM 7A.5 adopted at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003),

3. Taking note of the report of the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, presented by IUCN during the 29th session (Durban, 2005),

4. Notes the information in the report provided by the State Party concerning the stolen vehicles;

5. Expresses its utmost concern over the findings of the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, in particular the continuing deterioration of the World Heritage value of the property, the on-going poaching of wildlife, land degradation as a result of significant commercial extractions of natural resources, as well as a lack of progress in the implementation of the rehabilitation plan;

6. Encourages the State Party of Niger and UNDP/GEF to expedite the approval and implementation of the project “Co-management of Natural Resources in Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves and adjacent areas” (COGERAT);

7. Urges the State Party to implement the recommendations by the 2005 IUCN monitoring mission, with a view to addressing urgent threats to the property, in particular:

a) re-establish physical presence of the management authority in Iférouane and provide adequate resources to the management authority in order to allow a better control of natural resource use within the property;

b) establish Land Commissions (Commissions foncières) in the four Municipalities and clarify respective land-use and resource access rights for local residents;

c) significantly improve monitoring and surveillance of the property in order to address poaching and illegal commercial natural resource extraction issues;

d) immediately halt all commercial collection of timber and hay from the property; and

e) initiate soil and vegetation stabilization actions to control soil erosion, and measures to reduce corollary destabilization of soils by motorized traffic;

8. Requests the State Party to submit by 1 February 2006 a report on the state of conservation of the property and on progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the 2005 monitoring mission, for examination by the Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006);

9. Decides to retain the Aïr and Tenéré Natural Reserves (Niger) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Read more
29 COM 8C.2
New World Heritage List in Danger

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined the of state of conservation reports of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-05/29.COM/7A and WHC-05/29.COM/7A.Add),

2. Decides to maintain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:

  • Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan)(Decision 29 COM 7A.20)
  • Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan)(Decision 29 COM 7A.21)
  • Tipasa (Algeria) (Decision 29 COM 7A.16)
  • Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower (Azerbaijan) (Decision 29 COM 7A.28)
  • Royal Palaces of Abomey (Benin) (Decision 29 COM 7A.13)
  • Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Central African Republic)(Decision 29 COM 7A.1)
  • Comoé National Park (Côte d'Ivoire) (Decision 29 COM 7A.2)
  • Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea) (Decision 29 COM 7A.3)
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Rep. of the Congo) (Decision 29 COM 7A.5)
  • Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Rep. of the Congo) (Decision 29 COM 7A.5)
  • Virunga National Park (Democratic Rep. of the Congo) (Decision 29 COM 7A.5)
  • Garamba National Park (Democratic Rep. of the Congo) (Decision 29 COM 7A.5)
  • Salonga National Park (Democratic Rep. of the Congo) (Decision 29 COM 7A.5)
  • Abu Mena (Egypt) (Decision 29 COM 7A.17)
  • Simien National Park (Ethiopia) (Decision 29 COM 7A.4)
  • Cologne Cathedral (Germany) (Decision 28 COM 7A.29)
  • Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Honduras) (Decision 29 COM 7A.12)
  • Group of Monuments at Hampi (India) (Decision 29 COM 7A.22)
  • Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (India) (Decision 29 COM 7A.9)
  • Bam and its Cultural Landscape (Islamic Republic of Iran) (Decision 29 COM 7A.23)
  • Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Iraq) (Decision 29 COM 7A.18)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (Jerusalem) (Decision 29 COM 7A.31)
  • Kathmandu Valley (Nepal ) (Decision 29 COM 7A.24)
  • Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Niger) (Decision 29 COM 7A.6)
  • Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (Pakistan) (Decision 29 COM 7A.25)
  • Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (Peru) (Decision 29 COM 7A.30)
  • Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (Philippines) (Decision 29 COM 7A.26)
  • Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (Senegal) (Decision 29 COM 7A.7)
  • Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia) (Decision 29 COM 7A.8)
  • Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (United Republic of Tanzania) (Decision 28 COM 7A.15)
  • Everglades National Park (United States of America) (Decision 29 COM 7A.10)
  • Historic Town of Zabid (Yemen) (Decision 29 COM 7A.19)
Read more

Draft decision: 29 COM 7A.6

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-05/29.COM/7A,

2. Recalling Decision 28 COM 15A.6 adopted at its 28th session (Suzhou, 2004), as well as Decision 27 COM 7A.5 adopted at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003),

3. Notes the information in the report provided by the State Party concerning the stolen vehicles;

4. Reiterates its request to the State Party to provide a report on progress achieved in the implementation of the rehabilitation plan;

5. Congratulates the State Party, the Global Environment Facility, IUCN and other organisations involved in organising the project for the Aïr and Tenéré Natural Reserves and requests the guarantee that the implementation phase of the project will include a programme for the rehabilitation of the property which takes account of the recommendations of the IUCN / World Heritage Centre mission;

6. Decides to maintain the Air and Tenéré Natural Reserves on the List of World Heritage in Danger. 

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Report year: 2005
Niger
Date of Inscription: 1991
Category: Natural
Criteria: (vii)(ix)(x)
Danger List (dates): 1992-present
Documents examined by the Committee
WHC-05/29.COM/7A
arrow_circle_right 29COM (2005)
Exports
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* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.