New Delhi: The Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal was on Wednesday removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, following “positive steps taken by the State Party” that has contributed to improving the natural site’s state of conservation, the UNESCO said.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in New Delhi.
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), a world heritage property, was also discussed during the ongoing session of the WHC, the UNESCO official said on Wednesday.
However, it has not been put on the List of World Heritage in Danger, the official said.
Nepal’s Lumbini and UK’s ancient Stonehenge site, both UNESCO heritage properties, would be examined by the WHC during its ongoing session here as there have been some “issues” that could affect the values of these iconic landmarks, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of UNESCO World Heritage, had told reporters on the sidelines of the WHC session on Monday.
These two sites could potentially be included in the List of World Heritage in Danger, hence warranting the examination, he had suggested.
The UNESCO in its statement on Wednesday said Niokolo-Koba National Park, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1981 for its unique biodiversity and exceptional ecosystems, has faced “a series of threats in recent years”.
“Wildlife depletion, poaching, basalt mining and other human activities have threatened its Outstanding Universal Value, leading to its inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2007,” it said.
This decision enabled Senegal to develop and implement an “ambitious action plan” with the support of UNESCO and the international community, which has resulted in a “significant improvement in the property’s state of conservation over the past seven years”, the world body said.
Monitoring of emblematic species has been significantly stepped up and considerable resources have been allocated to the surveillance of the property in order to combat poaching and illegal gold panning, as well as to better organise the transhumance of livestock, the UNESCO said.
A mine pollution control system has also been put in place and water and soil analysis equipment has been installed. Finally, work has been carried out to improve the fight against the invasive species Mimosa pigra, the world body said.
“The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in New Delhi (India), decided on Wednesday to remove Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal from the List of World Heritage in Danger, following the positive steps taken by the State Party, which have contributed to improving the natural site’s state of conservation,” it said.
Located in a well-watered area along the banks of the Gambia river, the gallery forests and Savannahs of Niokolo-Koba National Park have a very rich fauna, among them Derby elands (largest of the antelopes), chimpanzees, lions, leopards and a large population of elephants, as well as many birds, reptiles and amphibians, according to UNESCO website.
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General, termed the removal of the site’s name from the List of World Heritage in Danger an “excellent news”, saying it shows that “our collective efforts to protect Africa’s heritage are paying off”.
“Following the removal of the Tombs of the Kings of Buganda at Kasubi in Uganda from the World Heritage in Danger List in 2023, this year it is the turn of Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. Thanks to the joint efforts of Senegal and UNESCO, the protection of this site has improved significantly.
“This is excellent news, and shows that our collective efforts to protect Africa’s heritage are paying off. UNESCO will continue to support the African States and to mobilize the international community to save as many African sites in danger as possible,” she was quoted as saying in a separate statement shared by a UNESCO official.
The UNESCO said that in recognition of the results achieved by Senegal and its formal commitment to “reappraise plans” to the development of the property, the WHC has taken the decision to “remove Niokolo-Koba National Park from the List of World Heritage in Danger, while calling on the State Party to continue its efforts in the coming years”.
The purpose of the List of World Heritage in Danger is to provide information on the threats to the very values that led to the inclusion of a property on the World Heritage List, and to mobilise the international community to preserve the site. It also enables the site to benefit from the right to increased technical and financial support from UNESCO, it said.
According to the UNESCO website, there are 55 properties that the WHC has decided to include on the List of World Heritage in Danger in accordance with Article 11 (4) of the World Heritage Convention.
The count in the list was 56 before the WHC session began in New Delhi on July 21. The session will conclude on July 31.
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