Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve

• Lack of Management Plan (issue resolved)
• Oil and gas (Geophysical prospecting in the marine area surrounding the property)
• Marine transport infrastructure (Planned construction of a naval base within the property)
• Increased human presence
• Garbage

N/A

On 29 November 2019, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, on 2 December 2019, a summary of the 2020-2024 Management Plan, and on 18 November 2021, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property, all of which are available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1023/documents and report the following:

• Garbage clean-up activities in the property have continued in 2021. About 450 tons of scrap metal have been shipped from Wrangel Island. A further 20 container drums and two tons of scrap metal have also been collected and placed into storage. The State Party considers that the accumulated environmental damage caused by past anthropogenic activities cannot be described as potentially dangerous for the property;
• Drilling operations, exploration and extraction of minerals in the property are prohibited by law, and no oil production areas exist within the property. Seismic survey works carried out on licensed subsoil areas of East-Siberian and Chukchi seas are reported not to affect the marine part of the property nor its protective zone. No oil exploitation adjacent to the property is on-going;
• In 2021, tourism activity resumed in the property. Less than 200 people, from cruise ships and yachts, visited the island. However, visits to the property are expected to increase further when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted;
• Tourism regulations have been developed, which gather information on possible tourist load on the property. Additional construction of new tourist infrastructure is not foreseen;
• Wind turbine generators were installed in 2021 at stations in the property, with another generator planned for 2022 to provide electricity from renewable sources. Three residential houses for staff and a garage are planned to be built in 2022-23 at “Ushakovskoe” central base;
• Research on climate change impacts on ecosystems in the property has been established and was continued in 2021. The monitoring programs for the Chukchi-Alaska polar bear population and snow geese populations have also continued, and new programmes on other ecological indicator species have commenced.

On 23 February 2022, the World Heritage Centre requested further information from the State Party regarding the timetable and programme to complete the removal of garbage. No additional information has been received at the time of writing of this report. Prior to this request, the World Heritage Centre also sent on 14 February 2023, a letter to the State Party requesting verification of third party information concerning proposed legislation (the Charter) reportedly available on the website of the Ministry of Natural Resources that would determine the allowable activities and land use within the property, including amendments to the existing protection regime that would allow the construction of permanent structures and further maintenance of infrastructure and communication lines, the presence of firearms on the reserve’s territory, hunting of game animals, groundwater extraction, changes to the hydrological regime, transportation by off-road vehicles and the passage of boats and aircraft. The information also indicated that land plots are to be designated for defence purposes and partial economic use. At the time of preparation of this report, no reply has been received from the State Party.

Recalling the serious concern expressed by the World Heritage Committee regarding the threats to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property following the conclusions of the 2017 mission to the property, and the numerous requests for detailed information on progress in implementing the mission’s recommendations, it is regrettable that the State Party has not provided detailed information regarding the implementation of the Committee’s requests. This makes it difficult to assess the state of conservation of the property.

The preparation of the Management Plan for the period 2020-2024 is noted, but no update was provided on its implementation, despite the opportunity offered to the States Parties concerned to submit by 1 March 2023 succinct updates on any significant changes in the state of conservation of the property since the submission of their last report. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to provide this update to the World Heritage Centre, together with a copy of the final version of the Management Plan and ensure the timely development of the next phase of the Management Plan, following the expiry of the 2020-2024 Plan.

Noting that tourism to the property restarted in 2021, the development of regulations to monitor the tourism pressure to the property as well as the confirmation that no new tourism facilities are planned, is welcomed. It is recalled that the 2017 mission recommended that an ecological carrying capacity study be undertaken to inform visitor management, hence it is recommended the State Party provide clarification on whether such a carrying capacity study has been completed and provide further details on the aforementioned regulations.

While monitoring activities are reported to have continued, including on the Chukchi-Alaska polar bear population and climate change, no results are provided. Recalling that the 2017 Reactive Monitoring mission highlighted climate change as a critical threat to the property, the State Party should be requested to provide the results of these monitoring activities, including long-term polar bear population numbers, and develop adaptive measures to minimize any negative impacts of climate change on the OUV of the property.

The removal of 450 tons of garbage from the property is welcomed. However, noting the 25,000 tons of scrap metal and 100,000 metal drums previously calculated for removal, it remains unclear how the removal of such a volume will be achieved by the previously identified deadline of 2023. It is therefore recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to expedite the removal of garbage and clean-up of associated contaminants and provide a timetabled programme for doing so.

Notwithstanding the reports that seismic prospecting on the licensed subsoil plots of Yuzhno-Chukotski, Severo-Vrangelski-1 and -2 has no impacts on the OUV of the property, it remains unclear on what basis this conclusion is drawn. It should be recalled that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should be undertaken and submitted to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN, before any decision is taken to approve hydrocarbon-drilling activities.

The above-mentioned information from third parties indicating that the proposed new legislation (the Charter) would result in various changes to allowable activities within the property is of utmost concern. It is therefore urgent that the State Party provide clarification on the status of this proposed legislation. If adopted, the legislationa significant weakening of the protection status of the property, which, in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, could create the conditions for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

It is regrettable that detailed information on the impacts of military facilities on the property’s OUV has still not been provided, as requested by the Committee since 2018. It should be recalled that the 2017 mission concluded that inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger may be warranted if it is not proven that military presence within the property does not constitute an ascertained danger to its OUV.

Recalling that the World Heritage Committee requested the State Party to invite a Reactive Monitoring mission to the property in 2021 and in view of the continuing information gaps in the responses to the Committee's requests, it is recommended to reiterate the request to the State Party to invite a mission to review the implementation of the recommendations of the 2017 mission and to assess the state of conservation of the property, including with regard to the proposed new legislation, and to obtain any missing information.