Western Tien-Shan

• Management systems / Management Plan (Need to finalize the transboundary management framework for the property; Need to further develop collaboration between the States Parties in the framework of a tripartite Memorandum for management of the property; Need to review and rationalize the boundaries of the components of the property and their buffer zones to ensure that they fully correspond to Criterion (x))
• Human resources (Lack of capacity on transnational management)

On 4 February 2020, the States Parties of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan submitted a joint report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1490/documents/ and provides the following information:

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the management and protection of the property was signed between the three States Parties in February 2019. The implementation of activities listed in the MoU is ongoing, including the establishment of a regional working group to coordinate management activities and annual monitoring of the property;
• In 2018-2019, several workshops concerning natural World Heritage in Central Asia were held by the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, in coordination with the States Parties, including a regional capacity development workshop in Almaty in April 2019. The workshop served as a platform for the States Parties’ representatives to discuss current natural World Heritage issues in the region. Western Tien-Shan received a special focus, with an emphasis on strengthening further management cooperation;
• In Uzbekistan, a number of actions have been taken to improve the management system of the Chatkal State Biosphere Reserve in 2016-2019, including changes in management authorities. Notably, the management of the Ugam-Chatkal State Biosphere Reserve, designated in 2018 in the territory of the former Strict Nature Reserve, which includes the Bashkizilsay component of the property, was assigned to the “Uzbekistan Temir Yollari” National Railway Company, however the general activity of this protected area is overseen by the State Committee for Ecology and Environment Protection. This change is reported to be likely to have a positive influence on the property, including through provision of additional budget by the railway company;
• The boundaries of components situated on the territory of Sayram-Ugam National Nature Park in Kazakhstan were reviewed, as previously reported by the State Party in its 2018 state of conservation report. In doing so, the zones of “limited economic use” were removed from the property and included into the buffer zone and technical mistakes in the borders of the property corrected. The States Parties report that the revised area of the Sayram-Ugam National Nature Park is 88,425 hectares, and 87,628 hectares for its buffer zone, with no changes in the total area coverage of this component and its buffer zone combined (i.e. 176,053 hectares) nor the management/land use type as a result;
• A joint proposal for boundary modification is being developed in response to Committee requests. The potential of the property to also meet Criterion (ix) is being discussed as part of the process.

The signing of the MoU on the management and protection of the property between the three States Parties is welcomed. However, it is noted that the planned joint steering committee, referred to in the States Parties’ report as the regional working group, which would assume coordinating functions, is yet to be established. Therefore, it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the States Parties to expedite the establishment of the joint steering committee in order to effectively implement the management objectives listed in the MoU. The consultation with IUCN on regional projects and workshops aimed at building capacity of the States Parties towards effective transnational management of the property is welcomed.

Although the submission of a joint state of conservation report is welcome, it is noteworthy that this report provides no information concerning the Kyrgyz components. It is also recalled that, at its 42nd session, the World Heritage Committee regretted that Kyrgyzstan did not submit a report on the state of conservation of the Kyrgyz components of the property.

While the report provides some information on the changes in the protection regime and management system of Uzbek components of the property, in particular the new role of the “Uzbekistan Temir Yollari” National Railway Company in the management of the Ugam-Chatkal State Biosphere Reserve, the exact governance arrangements and corresponding management regime of these components remain unclear, in particular how the protection regime has changed and the potential resulting impact on the conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property.

The boundary revisions to the Sayram-Ugam National Nature Park in Kazakhstan remain highly concerning. It should be recalled that any proposal for a boundary modification must be submitted formally by the States Parties, in accordance with Paragraphs 163-165 of the Operational Guidelines, and that such a modification would only come into effect if and when it is approved by the Committee. The significant changes introduced at the national level, without the Committee’s approval, to the zoning and protection regime of the Sayram-Ugam National Nature Park, including the excision of more than 60,000 hectares from the property (i.e. ca. 35% of this component) and their inclusion in the buffer zone, would result in part of the property no longer benefitting from an appropriate level of protection, which would constitute a potential danger to the property’s OUV.

The questions surrounding governance and management of the components of the property in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan remain issues of concern that require further assessment, particularly the changes to the management and protection status of the components of the property in the Chatkal State Biosphere Reserve and the possible impact on the property’s OUV resulting from boundary revisions of the Sayram-Ugam National Nature Park, as well as the lack of information on the state of conservation of the components in Kyrgyzstan. It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the States Parties to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to assess the changes in the management regime of the Chatkal State Biosphere Reserve component and the changes in the zoning regime of the Sayram-Ugam National Nature Park, and to verify whether any new threats to the components in Kyrgyzstan have emerged since inscription. During the Reactive Monitoring mission, an opportunity should be sought for the three States Parties’ representatives to meet with the mission experts in order to share an understanding of the current issues and the procedural concerns over the boundary modification and other points raised by the Committee, and to discuss the progress regarding the finalization of the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value for the property.

The development of a joint proposal for a significant boundary modification is noted, along with its stated aims to a) fully correspond to criterion (x); b) follow ecological principles and address connectivity; c) exclude areas originally included for their paleontological values, as previously requested by the Committee; and d) consider the potential to also meet Criterion (ix). It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the States Parties to continue their work in that regard.