Maloti-Drakensberg Park
Factors affecting the property in 2021*
- Interpretative and visitation facilities
- Legal framework
- Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
- Management activities
- Management systems/ management plan
- Oil and gas
- Other Threats:
Buffer zones not yet formalized
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Interpretative and visitation facilities: Need to improve presentation of cultural aspects, in particular the San rock art sites within the Environmental Centre
- Legal framework: Revisions, amendments and enactment of relevant laws pertinent to the property not yet finalized in Lesotho
- Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure, particularly a proposed cable car and a proposed petrol filling station within the property’s newly proposed buffer zone in South Africa
- Management activities: Continuation of a cautious approach to conservation interventions on rock art sites (except where rock art would otherwise become very fragile and vulnerable)
- Management systems/management plan: Need to strengthen the Lesotho heritage management, including adoption of a comprehensive management plan, annual budget allocation, risk preparedness and disaster response plan, monitoring indicators, staff training and transnational collaboration
- The buffer zones surrounding the property are not yet formalized
- Need for research and documentation to establish an inventory of rock art in Sehlabathebe National Park (issue resolved)
- Need for an assessment of the potential cultural contribution of other landscape elements to the cultural values of Sehlabathebe National Park (issue resolved)
- Renewable energy facilities: Proposed development of wind farms in areas neighboring the Sehlabathebe National Park (issue resolved)
- Oil and gas exploration: proposed shale gas, gas and oil exploration within the property’s newly proposed buffer zone in South Africa
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2021
Total amount granted: USD 50,000 in 2015 through the UNESCO World Heritage Sustainable Tourism programme (Flanders Funds-in-Trust); USD 40,000 in 2016-2017 for COMPACT community conservation programme (Netherlands Funds-in-Trust), USD 145,000 from the Government of Norway in 2020 for continued COMPACT activities
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2021
Total amount approved : 55,016 USD
2021 | Conservation, monitoring, and risk assessment of rock ... (Approved) | 20,224 USD |
2018 | Strengthening Sehlabathebe community conservation forum ... (Approved) | 14,056 USD |
2014 | Documentation of Rock Art at Sehlabathebe National Park ... (Approved) | 20,736 USD |
Missions to the property until 2021**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2021
On 2 December 2020, the States Parties submitted a joint state of conservation on the property, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/985/documents/, reporting the following:
- The annual budget for the property includes support for staff training and community activities. In addition, a Community Management of Protected Areas Conservation Programme (COMPACT) continues at the property, with financial support from the Government of Norway to the World Heritage Fund;
- The Joint Management Plan of the property is still being finalized. It is confirmed that risk preparedness and disaster response planning will be incorporated into the Plan;
- The States Parties are awaiting the review of the management plans for fire, invasive alien species, cultural heritage and the sustainable tourism strategy;
- The State Party of South Africa has submitted a request for a Minor Boundary Modification to formalize the buffer zone to the south of the Sehlabathebe National Park in South Africa;
- The formal application for the proposed shale gas, gas and oil exploration within this buffer zone has not yet been received and hence no development has yet taken place. Similarly, there has been no development of the proposed cableway in South Africa. The State Party of South Africa confirms that Environmental and Heritage Impact Assessments (EIAs/HIAs) for these projects will be undertaken and submitted to the World Heritage Centre once they are available;
- Any conservation interventions for the rock art sites will be limited to addressing immediate and urgent vulnerabilities only;
- The appeal lodged by the management authority of the property in South Africa over the proposed petrol filling station in the buffer zone, was rejected. This was also confirmed through a State Party letter submitted to the World Heritage Centre on 30 September 2020, which also noted the State Party’s commitment to monitor the engagements to ensure the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is not compromised. The project has since been completed;
- The State Party of Lesotho commits to expediting the finalization of the Biodiversity Management Bill, which is undergoing final review.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2021
The confirmation by the State Party of South Africa to undertake impact assessments for the two development proposals and for submitting them to the World Heritage Centre is appreciated. Recalling that the cableway is proposed in the immediate vicinity of the property and the exploration is within the property’s buffer zone, there is high potential for impacts on the OUV. It is therefore recommended that the State Party keep the World Heritage Centre informed of the progress and to ensure the impact assessments are undertaken in line with the ICOMOS and IUCN guidelines.
The continued efforts to finalize the Joint Management Plan and the Biodiversity Management Bill are appreciated but the significant delay is also notable. Considering that their completion has been pending for some time, every effort should be made to expedite the process to the extent possible. The continued confirmation by the States Parties that any conservation interventions for the rock art sites will be limited to addressing immediate and urgent vulnerabilities only is welcome.
It is recalled that the management authority of the property in South Africa in previous reports expressed its concerns for the visual and sense-of-place impacts of the petrol filling station in the buffer zone. The state of conservation report submitted by the States Parties does not provide any details and taking note that the project has now been completed, it is recommended that the Committee request the States Parties to provide information on how the potential impacts on the OUV of the property were mitigated during construction, and what measures are being applied during the operational phase to ensure the OUV continues to be protected.
The communication that the State Party of Lesotho is finalizing its Biodiversity Resources Management Bill, is welcome, and it is reminded that a copy of the final Bill is provided to the World Heritage Centre once it is approved.
The submission of a request for a Minor Boundary Modification is acknowledged, however, the World Heritage Centre has requested the States Parties to complement their request with a joint letter, ensuring that the request is endorsed by the two States Parties, in order to transfer it for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2021
44 COM 7B.170
Maloti-Drakensberg Park (Lesotho, South Africa) (C/N 985bis)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B.Add,
- Recalling Decisions 39 COM 7B.33, 41 COM 7B.38 and 43 COM 7B.38, adopted at its 39th (Bonn, 2015), 41st (Krakow, 2017) and 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions respectively,
- Appreciates the confirmation by the States Parties that conservation interventions for the rock art sites will be limited to addressing immediate and urgent vulnerabilities only, and the commitment by the State Party of South Africa to undertake Environmental and Heritage Impact Assessments in line with IUCN and ICOMOS guidelines for the proposed cableway in the immediate vicinity of the property and for a proposed shale gas, gas and oil exploration within the newly proposed buffer zone in South Africa, and to submit the impact assessments to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies before making any decisions that may be difficult to reverse in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
- Takes note that the appeal lodged by the management authority over the petrol filling station within the property’s buffer zone in South Africa was rejected, but also recalling the concerns that were raised in relation to the potential negative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), requests the State Party of South Africa to provide further details on how the potential impacts of the petrol filling station were mitigated during construction and the measures that have been put in place during the operational phase to ensure the continued protection of the OUV;
- Reiterates its request to the States Parties to complete the revision of the Joint Management Plan of the property, using it as an umbrella to harmonize the management system, to submit the Plan to the World Heritage Centre for review, and to report on its implementation;
- Also reiterates its request to the State Party of Lesotho to expedite the finalization of the Biodiversity Resources Management Bill and to submit a copy to the World Heritage Centre;
- Notes the submission of a request for a Minor Boundary Modification to formalize the buffer zone to the south of the Sehlabathebe National Park in South Africa, and also requests the States Parties to formalize this submission with a joint letter by both States Parties, so that it can be transferred for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies;
- Further requests the States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above. for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.
Draft Decision: 44 COM 7B.170
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B.Add,
- Recalling Decisions 39 COM 7B.33, 41 COM 7B.38 and 43 COM 7B.38, adopted at its 39th (Bonn, 2015), 41st (Krakow, 2017) and 43rd (Baku, 2019) sessions respectively,
- Appreciates the confirmation by the States Parties that conservation interventions for the rock art sites will be limited to addressing immediate and urgent vulnerabilities only, and the commitment by the State Party of South Africa to undertake Environmental and Heritage Impact Assessments in line with IUCN and ICOMOS guidelines for the proposed cableway in the immediate vicinity of the property and for a proposed shale gas, gas and oil exploration within the newly proposed buffer zone in South Africa, and to submit the impact assessments to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies before making any decisions that may be difficult to reverse in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
- Takes note that the appeal lodged by the management authority over the petrol filling station within the property’s buffer zone in South Africa was rejected, but also recalling the concerns that were raised in relation to the potential negative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), requests the State Party of South Africa to provide further details on how the potential impacts of the petrol filling station were mitigated during construction and the measures that have been put in place during the operational phase to ensure the continued protection of the OUV;
- Reiterates its request to the States Parties to complete the revision of the Joint Management Plan of the property, using it as an umbrella to harmonize the management system, to submit the Plan to the World Heritage Centre for review, and to report on its implementation;
- Also reiterates its request to the State Party of Lesotho to expedite the finalization of the Biodiversity Resources Management Bill and to submit a copy to the World Heritage Centre;
- Notes the submission of a request for a Minor Boundary Modification to formalize the buffer zone to the south of the Sehlabathebe National Park in South Africa, and also requests the States Parties to formalize this submission with a joint letter by both States Parties, so that it can be transferred for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies;
- Further requests the States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above. for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session in 2023.
Exports
* :
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.