Aapravasi Ghat

• Urban development (issue resolved)
• Restoration works (issue resolved)
• Visitor pressure (issue resolved)
• Commercial development
• Transport infrastructure

A joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission visited the property in May 2018 (mission report available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1227/documents/). Subsequently, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report on 31 January 2019, which is available at the above-mentioned web address, and provides information on the following:

• The proposed Immigration Square Urban Terminal (Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport) is a redevelopment of an open space in the city as new multi-functional transport, commercial and services centre. Immigration Square is currently in use as a bus terminal. In February 2019, the State Party submitted additional information reporting that a project proposal has been selected. The State Party has set up a “High Level Technical Committee”, chaired by the Minister of Arts and Culture to monitor this project’s implementation;
• A request for proposals has been developed for the Port Louis Waterfront Phase 2, Cultural Heritage District (Landscope Mauritius Ltd) that highlights the project aims: the preservation, enhancement and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings located in the development area. This project still awaits the in-principle approval of the government;
• The Light Rail project and an end station at Immigration Square (Metro Express Project Ltd) have been adapted in response to the 2018 mission recommendations. The construction of the line and station in the buffer zone of the property is planned for 2019-2020 after review of the final plans by the Advisory Bodies;
• A technical team chaired by the National Heritage Fund is further developing the project for the Intercontinental Slavery Museum (Ministry of Arts and Culture), in line with the 2018 mission recommendations;
• An overarching Master Plan is being developed for the buffer zone by the Ministry of Housing and Lands, under the auspices of a high-level committee chaired by the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport, which will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies once completed.

According to the 2018 mission report, the property is very well curated; its state of conservation is good and its interpretative facilities located adjacent to the property are of high standard.

The property is located in a dense and dynamic urban environment and previous Committee decisions have addressed the issue of urban development having a potential negative impact on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The State Party subsequently elaborated and adopted a planning policy, the Planning Policy Guideline 6 (PPG 6), which addressed those concerns. The PPG 6 requires Heritage and Visual Impact Assessments to be carried out for major development projects. It is advised Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) are carried out in line with the ICOMOS Guidelines on HIAs for Cultural World Heritage properties (2011), with a specific section focusing on the potential impact of the project on the OUV of the property. As the four proposed redevelopment projects lie in the same geographic area and will alter the physical setting of the property, the 2018 mission recommended that an overarching Master Plan for the development precinct be commissioned in line with the existing legal policy for the buffer zone. The 2018 mission also reported a lack of well-defined and mandatory stakeholder participation processes, which creates misunderstandings and lack of unanimity on proposed projects.

The 2018 mission reviewed several projects and recommended the following:

• Immigration Square Urban Terminal: the prescripts of PPG 6, which provides for these development projects, should be followed, including all impact assessment requirements, height restrictions and view-line restrictions. The quality of the architectural design is crucial as it will have a large long-term impact on the setting of the OUV of the property;
• Port Louis Waterfront Project Phase 2, Cultural Heritage District: Any intervention cannot be undertaken before a detailed investigation on the buildings-archaeological and archival researches, as well as a broad stakeholder consultation is done.
• Light Rail project and an end station at Immigration Square: the location of the Light Rail end station and bridge were problematic. The State Party has subsequently relocated these. Great care needs to be taken to limit the visual and aural impact of the Light Rail system on the property and in the design of the infrastructure and urban landscape of the Light Rail in the area of the property. None of the sidewalk adjacent to the property should be sacrificed to construct the Light Rail system or its infrastructure;
• Intercontinental Slavery Museum: Before any intervention is undertaken, a detailed investigation on the buildings-archaeological and archival researches, as well as a broad stakeholder consultation should be done. The State Party reports that it has already implemented technical recommendations of the 2018 mission on the development projects. However, there is concern regarding the timeframes for the implementation of the four proposed projects. The State Party should be cautioned that the completion of an agreed Master Plan should take place before HIAs for the proposed projects are carried out and before mitigation of impacts and implementation of projects can be undertaken. The Master Plan itself should first be tested through an independent impact assessment process before adoption.

In addition, the 2018 mission reported that the 2013–2018 Management Plan was under review for extension. The status of this Plan is not addressed in the State Party’s report.

The possible presence of archaeological attributes in the Parc à Boulets, which lies adjacent to the property, has not yet been explored.