19. The IUCN Regional Councilor for Europe informed the Bureau that the series of measures to prevent the increasing siltation of the Bay, as announced by President Mitterrand in 1983, had not yet been taken. The salt marshes were currently encroaching upon the Bay at a rate of 30 ha per year which, according to previous studies, could mean that Mont Saint Michel would no longer be an island by the end of 1991, thereby degrading the natural setting of the cultural monuments of Mont Saint Michel. In addition, the authorities responsible for the development of the region, namely the two ...
22. The Bureau recalled that at the time of the inscription of this site on the World Heritage List in 1981, the Committee was aware of the pending threat to exploit the rich iron ore deposit situated in the northern part of the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve in Guinea. A project now existed which was of great interest to the steel industry for Europe, Japan and the United States, and which was to be financed essentially by mining consortia from France, Japan and the United States. It would involve the extension of an existing railway from the Liberian side of Mount Nimba, the ...
29. The Bureau was concerned that the site was being degraded by unregulated tourism and water pollution and hence requested the Secretariat to contact the Turkish authorities and request them to (a) declare this site a national park as soon as possible, as the Committee had recommended at the time of its being listed in 1988; and (b) host a national workshop for discussing the various threats faced by this site in order to develop a management plan for the site.
30. The Bureau also noted information pertaining to the state of conservation of Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park (United ...
Sites: Hierapolis-Pamukkale
The Bureau noted that, following the distribution of the report of the thirteenth session of the Committee, the Secretariat had received advice by the Australian authorities that, although it was not strictly correct to say that legislation had been passed to revoke all mining rights within the World Heritage site, they guaranteed that no activity would take place which might threaten the world heritage values of the Tasmanian Wilderness.
Sites: Tasmanian Wilderness
The Bureau noted the need to review the original boundaries of this site. Several Indian Reserves, included in the original nomination had since then been degraded by coal mining and road construction projects and were not being managed for conservation objectives. The lack of definition of conservation areas had resulted in a native resident, who attempted to prevent illegal hunting, being recently shot and killed. The Bureau recommended that the Chairman contact the Costa Rican authorities to express condolences to the affected family on behalf of the Committee. The Bureau also ...
The Bureau noted that the Chairman had approved US $7,500 under preparatory assistance for drawing up a technical co-operation project for buffer zone development which could benefit local people resident around this park. In the meantime, however, the Bureau was concerned about reports of heavy commercial poaching in the area, particularly on Maxwell's duikers. The Bureau was informed that a meeting is scheduled to be held in Abidjan, Côted'Ivoire, on 27 June 1990, with Unesco, UNDP and several national agencies, at which proposals for launching a pilot project for the conservation ...
Sites: Taï National Park
The Bureau was specifically concerned with the capturing of about 40,000 sharks, using locally captured sea-lions as baits, in the marine waters surrounding the Galapagos world heritage site. Although the capture of sharks had been temporarily halted following protests from international agencies, the effectiveness of the ban was uncertain. The Bureau recalled that preparatory assistance from the World Heritage Fund had been provided in 1987 for nominating the marine areas surrounding the Galapagos National Park for inclusion as part of the world heritage site but noted that no such ...
Sites: Galápagos Islands
The Bureau noted with satisfaction that, as requested by the Committee at the time of the inscription of this site in 1981, the American authorities had completed amendments to the legislation and added a coastal strip and a number of offshore rocks and islands to the park. The Bureau commended the American authorities for their effective implementation of the recommendations of the Committee and requested that the extensions to the park be formally proposed for inclusion in the World Heritage List. The Bureau, however, noted with concern the negative impacts of the 'Nestucca Oil Spill' ...
Sites: Olympic National Park
The Bureau recalled that this site had been invaded by people belonging to the Bodo tribe about a year ago and was concerned to note that the reserve was still occupied and that illegal removal of vegetation and poaching of animals continued. The local staff also seemed to have abandoned the park. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to continue its efforts to obtain a report on the state of conservation of this site from the Indian authorities before the forthcoming session of the World Heritage Committee. On the basis of the information received the Committee may wish to recommend that ...
Sites: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
The Bureau was informed that a US $30 million irrigation project, to be implemented with the assistance of a Japanese company and the Asian Development Bank, could divert about 75 per cent of the waters of the Rapti River which forms the northern boundary of the park and that no study on the environmental impact of this irrigation project had so far been undertaken. The Bureau recalled that a sum of US $80,000 had been provided during 1988-1989 from the World Heritage Fund for this site and was concerned whether the implementation of these projects was effectively ensuring the ...
Sites: Chitwan National Park
The Bureau recalled that when this site was entered on the World Heritage List at the twelfth session of the Committee, in Brasilia (Brazil), in December 1988, the Committee had noted that the integrity of the site was under serious threat but had definite prospects of rapid amelioration through the implementation of a 10-year project costing US $27 million to be financed by EEC. Hence, the Committee, at its twelfth session requested IUCN to monitor progress in the implementation of the EEC project and report on the extent to which the protection of the integrity of this site had ...
The Bureau recalled that during 1989, both the Bureau and the Committee had expressed concern regarding the proposed construction of a major highway, based on an existing track, across the park, which could greatly jeopardize its natural values. Following the Committee session in December, President Diouf of Senegal had written to the Director-General of Unesco assuring Senegal's commitment to safeguarding the natural heritage of this site. The representative of Senegal informed the Bureau that since President Diouf's letter, a decree had been promulgated creating a technical committee ...
Sites: Niokolo-Koba National Park
At its thirteenth session, in December 1989, the Committee had expressed concern regarding the felling of trees in the park of Versailles Palace. The French observer informed the Bureau that, since that time, violent storms had devastated the park, bringing down more than 1,200 trees which, most fortunately, had not damaged in their fall any of the sculptures or buildings. The French observer added that the administration of both the park and the buildings at Versailles was now under the responsibility of a single department, which, together with all the other parties concerned, was ...
In the course of its fourteenth session the Bureau was informed of the Italian authorities' decision not to confirm the proposal to have Venice selected as the site of the Universal Exhibition for year 2000. The members of the Bureau welcomed the news and expressed great satisfaction at the decisive role played by the Committee in that regard
Sites: Venice and its Lagoon
One member of the Bureau expressed concern about the state of conservation of the Kathmandu Valley monuments. The Secretariat informed the Bureau that assistance had been granted as a matter of urgency to the Nepalese authorities so that they could carry out the necessary conservation works, which had already been started. The Bureau asked for a report to be made to it on that site in December, in the context of the monitoring report.
Sites: Kathmandu Valley
One member of the Bureau expressed concern regarding the project for the development of the Pyramids Plateau in Egypt, which included the building of a great wall between the archaeological area and a village settlement and the fitting out of an open-air 'Son et Lumiere' theatre. The Bureau shared the concern expressed that the construction works might endanger that unique site; it therefore asked the Secretary to send a letter to the Egyptian Minister of Culture drawing his attention to the need to preserve the integrity of that site, which had been included in the World Heritage List. ...
47. The Bureau recommended that the Committee approve a request for technical assistance submitted by Yugoslavia for the purchase of computer and photographic equipment and equipment for the restoration of the mural paintings of the Monastery of Studenica, at a total cost of US$51,000.
Concerning that same site, the Bureau asked the Yugoslav authorities to give it their formal assurance that the project to build a dam near the monastery had been abandoned.
Sites: Studenica Monastery
48. The Bureau considered a request by the United Republic of Tanzania for the purchase of a Land Rover and radio equipment at a cost of US$49,782 for use at the archaeological and palaeontological site of Olduvai in the Ngorongoro conservation area.
The Bureau agreed in principle to make a favourable recommendation to the Committee concerning that request. However, before finalizing its recommendation, the Bureau asked the Tanzanian authorities to provide it with information, in time for it to be considered before the next session of the Committee, concerning the comprehensive plan ...
Sites: Ngorongoro Conservation Area