Ichkeul National Park
Factors affecting the property in 1997*
- Air pollution
- Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
- Subsistence hunting
- Water (rain/water table)
- Water infrastructure
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Construction of dams;
- Hunting;
- Grazing,
- Air pollution
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1997
Total amount approved : 90,000 USD
| 1991 | Consultancy, equipment, design and construction costs ... (Approved) | 40,000 USD |
| 1989 | Financial contribution to the preparation of exhibits ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
| 1981 | Study on Ichkeul National Park (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 1997**
January 1997: RAMSAR mission
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1997
At its last session (Merida, 1996), the Committee learnt that the construction of two dams has limited freshwater flow and devastated the wetland values of Ichkeul National Park; dramatic increases in the salinity of the lake and marshes and sharp reductions in migratory bird populations have been evident. The Tunisian Minister for the Environment holds the view that the Ichkeul ecosystem is not irreversibly lost. Nevertheless, the Committee included Ichkeul in the List of World Heritage in Danger and requested the Tunisian authorities to provide a programme of corrective measures to reverse the degradation of the site, and alerted them to possibilities of the deletion of Ichkeul from the World Heritage List if rehabilitation of the site would not be possible.
A representative from Tunesia is expected to provide an update on the state of conservation of Ichkeul at the Regional Training Workshop for Arab States, to be held in Morocco, during 5-16 May, 1997.
Action Required
The Bureau, based on new information that may be available at the time of its meeting, review the state of conservation of Ichkeul and make appropriate recommendations for the consideration of the Committee.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1997
The Committee, at its last session (Merida, 1996), found that the construction of two dams had limited freshwater flow, dramatically increased the salinity of the lake and marshes and led to sharp reductions of migratory bird populations. Hence, the Committee decided to declare Ichkeul as a World Heritage site in Danger and requested the Tunisian authorities to provide a programme of corrective measures to reverse the degradation of the site and alerted them to the possibility of the deletion of Ichkeul from the World Heritage List, if rehabilitation of the site is not possible.
IUCN informed the Bureau at its twenty-first session in June, 1997, of the following recommendations of a Ramsar mission to the site in January 1997: Tunisian authorities provide a clear indication of the measures they plan to take based on several scientific studies already carried out; establishment of an agreement on the release of water from the dams; setting up of a central authority addressing all management issues, including the long term management of the Tindja sluice; repair of the sluices; filling up of the Joumine Canal to restore the Joumine Marsh; and continuous scientific monitoring of the Park's ecology.
The Bureau recommended that the Committee establish a three-year time table to review efforts of the restoration of Ichkeul and, in the meantime, retain the site in the List of the World Heritage in Danger.
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1997
21 BUR IV.A.11
Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
The Bureau recalled that the Committee at its twentieth session noted that the construction of two dams had limited freshwater flow and devastated the wetland values of Ichkeul National Park, leading to dramatic increases in the salinity of the lake and marshes and sharp reductions in migratory bird populations. Hence, the Committee included Ichkeul in the List of World Heritage in Danger and requested the Tunisian authorities to provide a programme of corrective measures to reverse the degradation of the site, and alerted them to the possibility of the deletion of Ichkeul from the World Heritage List if rehabilitation of the site is not possible.
IUCN informed the Bureau that the report of an official mission to the site by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat had suggested that the Tunisian authorities give a clear indication of the measures they plan to take based on a number of studies already carried out and which have identified conservation actions. Furthermore, an agreement on the release of water from the dams should be reached and a central management authority addressing all management issues in the site, including the long-term management of the Tindja sluice needs to be established. The Ramsar mission recommended the repair of the sluices, the filling of the Joumine Canal to restore the Joumine Marsh, and continuous scientific monitoring of the Park's ecology.
In its discussions on the potential delisting of Ichkeul, the Bureau recalled the Committee's discussions with regard to another wetland, i.e. Srebarna Nature Reserve (Bulgaria) and that the Committee had given the Bulgarian authorities a three-year time frame to restore the site.
The Bureau requested the Centre to transmit the recommendations made by the mission of the Ramsar Secretariat to the Tunisian authorities and invite them to provide their views with regard to the implementation of the recommendations, by 15 October 1997. The Bureau also recommended that the Committee set up a three-year time table to review the outcome of efforts to restore Ichkeul National Park and in the meantime retain the site in the List of World Heritage in Danger.
21 COM VII.B.21/23
SOC: Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
VII.21 Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
The Committee recalled that at its last session (Merida, 1996), it found that the construction of two dams had limited freshwater flow, dramatically increased the salinity of the lake and marshes and led to sharp reductions of migratory bird populations. In 1996, the Committee decided to declare Ichkeul as a World Heritage site in Danger and requested the Tunisian authorities to provide a programme of corrective measures to reverse the degradation of the site and alerted them to the possibility of the deletion of Ichkeul from the World Heritage List, if rehabilitation of the site is not possible. IUCN informed the Bureau at its twenty-first session in June, 1997, of the following recommendations of a Ramsar mission to the site in January 1997: Tunisian authorities provide a clear indication of the measures they plan to take based on several scientific studies already carried out; establishment of an agreement on the release of water from the dams; setting up of a central authority addressing all management issues, including the long term management of the Tindja sluice; repair of the sluices; filling up of the Joumine Canal to restore the Joumine Marsh; and continuous scientific monitoring of the Park's ecology. The Bureau at its twenty-first session recommended that the Committee establish a three-year time table to review efforts of the restoration of Ichkeul and, in the meantime, retain the site in the List of the World Heritage in Danger.
The Centre informed the Committee that on 14 October 1997 a "Report on the action programme for the safeguarding of Ichkeul National Park" was provided by the "Ministere de l'environnement et de l'amenagement du territoire" and was transmitted to IUCN and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat for review. IUCN informed the Committee that this report does not provide a sufficient response to the recommendations of the Ramsar mission indicated above and that the serious threats to the integrity of the site are not adequately addressed.
The Committee decided to retain Ichkeul in the List of World Heritage in Danger and requested the Centre to write a letter urging the State Party to implement the recommendations of the Ramsar mission and submit a threat mitigation status report to the twenty-third session of the Committee, in 1999.
The Committee may wish to adopt the following:
"The Committee decides to retain Ichkeul in the List of World Heritage in Danger and recommends that the State Party implement the recommendations of the Ramsar mission and submit a threat mitigation status report, to the twenty-third session of the Committee, in 1999."
TunisiaExports
* :
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.
