Decision : 39 COM 7A.14
Selous Game Reserve (United Republic of Tanzania) (N 199bis)
The World Heritage Committee,
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Having examined Document WHC-15/39.COM/7A,
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Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.95, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
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Welcomes the clear commitment of the State Party to refrain from any form of mining within the property, and not to undertake any activities that may impact the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and its surrounding areas without prior approval of the World Heritage Committee;
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Notes with appreciation the on-going efforts by the State Party to address the poaching crisis in the property, and the various forms of support granted to Tanzania on the part of bi-lateral cooperation in particular Germany, the U.S., NGOs and the private sector;
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Reiterates its concern about the continued pressure from poaching in the property and its impact on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and urges the State Party to strengthen law enforcement, and to implement a site specific anti-poaching strategy and a comprehensive emergency action plan with the objective of halting poaching within the “Larger Selous Ecosystem” in 12 months, as originally recommended by the 2013 Reactive Monitoring mission and Decision 38 COM 7B.95;
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Requests the State Party to continue to take decisive actions at national level to address criminal networks involved in ivory trafficking and to improve controls in the ports used by the traffickers, and calls upon the States Parties which are transit and destination countries for ivory and rhino horn, to support the State Party to halt the illegal trade in ivory and other illegal wildlife products, in particular through the implementation of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES);
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Regrets the slow progress by the State Party in the establishment of a buffer zone and potentially strategic additions to the property, although this was a key commitment made by the State Party at the time of the approval of the boundary modification;
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Notes that the Mkuju River mining project has not yet started production, however also urges the State Party to ensure disaster preparedness and independent water monitoring prior to active mining, to provide a detailed description on the planned mining project, including details on the mining design, the extraction and processing methods and the measures foreseen to minimize contamination risks as well as an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the case of consideration of in-situ Leaching (ISL);
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Reiterates its request to clarify the status of planning and decision-making of the Stiegler's Gorge Dam project as was requested in Decision 38 COM 7B.95;
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Also notes that the submitted Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Kidunda dam project does not address the comments provided in neither the report of the 2013 Reactive Monitoring mission nor the relevant Committee decisions, and does not elaborate on the impacts on the property’s OUV, therefore also reiterates its request to complete the ESIA including a chapter on the impact of the proposed activity on the OUV of the property in accordance with the IUCN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment;
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Further urges the State Party to implement all other recommendations of the 2013 Reactive Monitoring mission and to submit a proposal for the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
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Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2016, an updated report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above recommendations, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016;
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Decides to retain the Selous Game Reserve (United Republic of Tanzania) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Original Decision Document
Themes: Conservation, List of World Heritage in Danger
States Parties: United Republic of Tanzania
Properties: Selous Game Reserve
Year: 2015
Decision Code: 39 COM 7A.14
