Danger Listing Denied Four Natural World Heritage Sites

ORIGINAL: Environment News Service

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, June 30, 2012 (ENS) - None of the four natural World Heritage sites recommended for inclusion on the World Heritage Danger List by the official advisory body on nature have been added by the World Heritage Committee.

As the committee's advisory body, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, had recommended that

• Lake Turkana National Parks in Kenya, 
• the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon, 
• the Virgin Komi Forests in Russia, and 
• the Pitons Management Area in the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia 

be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Lake Turkana in Kenya (Photo by International Rivers) 

The committee, meeting in St. Petersburg until July 6, has rejected all four recommendations.

A UNESCO agency, the World Heritage Committee identifies cultural and natural properties of Outstanding Universal Value that are to be protected under the treaty protecting World Cultural and Natural Heritage and inscribes those properties on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.

"We are disappointed that the committee has not inscribed any of these threatened sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger this year," said Tim Badman, director of IUCN's World Heritage Programme.

"These four sites face significant threats to their values, from threats including major infrastructure projects, the extractive industry and property speculation," said Badman.

The proposal to include Kenya's Lake Turkana on the Danger List was made due to construction of Gibe III dam in Ethiopia, a transboundary issue between Kenya and Ethiopia.

The Dja River in the Cameroon's Dja Faunal Reserve (Photo by Cameroon Travel ) 

An IUCN assessment shows that dam construction will result in a steep reduction in the water level of the world's largest desert lake, increased salinity and a decline in fish stocks and wildlife. It will also affect local communities who depend on the lake for their livelihoods. Local communities have been demonstrating against the dam for years.

Oil exploration and poaching pose additional threats to the area. Flagship species such as the reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebra seem to have disappeared.

Cameroon's Dja Faunal Reserve is one of the largest and best preserved rainforests in Africa, surrounded by the Dja River and inhabited by a wide variety of primates, including the Critically Endangered western lowland gorilla and the Endangered chimpanzee.

Mining activities in the vicinity of the reserve as well as wildlife poaching and ongoing dam construction on the river Dja were the main reasons for the site's danger listing proposal, the IUCN said.

Russia's Virgin Komi Forests (Photo by MerJade )

For the second year in a row, IUCN's recommendation to include Russia's Virgin Komi Forests on the Danger List has not been followed. Preparation works for a gold mine inside the site and national level boundary changes, which led to the loss of legal protection for parts of the site, are both clear criteria for a site to be declared in danger, warned the IUCN.

In the Northern Ural mountains of Russia's Komi Republic, the Virgin Komi Forests cover 3.28 million hectares of tundra and mountain tundra, as well as one of the most extensive areas of virgin boreal forest remaining in Europe. Both European and Asiatic species inhabit the site with some 43 mammal, 204 bird and 16 fish species recorded. Threatened mammal species include wolf, otter, beaver, sable, wolverine and lynx.

The Pitons Management Area in Saint Lucia has been subjected to significant development since its inscription on the World Heritage List in 2004, and development threats risk irreversible loss of its outstanding universal value.

Recognizable for its two eroded remnants of lava domes rising from the sea to heights greater than 700 meters, Pitons Management Area includes a geothermal field with sulphurous fumeroles and hot springs. The forested spires contain eight rare tree species. The larger one is inhabited by some 27 bird species, five of them found nowhere else on Earth.

Pitons Management Area in the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia (Photo by Michael Blanding ) 

Coral reefs cover almost 60 percent of the site's marine area, which is inhabited by 168 species of finfish.

Badman said, "Inscription on the Danger List is not a black mark for countries, but a way of drawing attention and providing support to the sites that need it the most."

The World Heritage Fund provides about US$4 million annually to support activities requested by governments in need of international assistance. The World Heritage Committee allocates funds according to the urgency of requests, priority being given to the most threatened sites.

The committee is composed of representatives from 21 governments that are Parties to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

At the 2012 meeting they are: Algeria, Cambodia, Colombia, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Iraq, Japan, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Qatar, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand and United Arab Emirates.

On Tuesday, the IUCN released a new independent review of World Heritage and extractive industries, published in response to growing concerns over the rapidly increasing number of World Heritage Sites threatened by planned mining or oil and gas projects.

Threats to natural World Heritage sites from mining activities are growing, especially in Africa, where one out of four iconic natural areas is negatively affected.

The outcome of a joint project by IUCN, the International Council on Mining and Metals, JP Morgan Bank, Shell International and UNESCO, the report proposes practical ways of strengthening the role of the World Heritage Convention in safeguarding these areas of outstanding value.

"These exceptional places, which cover less than one percent of the Earth's surface, have been included on the World Heritage List because they are of outstanding value to all of humanity. It's the duty of every one of us to cooperate in their protection and conservation," said Badman.

Companies such as Shell and the financial services firm JP Morgan, as well as ICMM, which brings together many of the world's major mining companies, have recognized the importance of conserving World Heritage Sites and have committed not to undertake activities that would damage them.

Yet other companies and some countries still profit from resource exploration in these sensitive areas.

"It is clear that the desired conservation outcomes will not be achieved through individual corporate commitments alone," Badman said. The task of ensuring World Heritage Sites are not impacted by extractive industries cannot be effective if it is a commitment of only a few responsible companies."

"Mining and energy companies' ability to fund substantial environmental programmes in the vicinity of their operations should not be viewed as adequate recompense for negative impacts on natural World Heritage properties. Nor are offsets an admissible strategy to compensate for such impacts," the report states.

"Nevertheless, the extractive industries should not automatically be seen as a threat to these properties. Instead, there may be opportunities, within broader planning and management frameworks, to identify mutually beneficial strategies for company support to environmental initiatives and capacity development that directly or indirectly benefit them," according to the report, which points out, "In the 21st century, a positive environmental profile is an increasingly valuable asset for the private sector."

After more than 10 years of dicussion on this issue, the World Heritage Committee has decided to develop formal policy guidelines governing extractive industries affecting natural World Heritage sites.

The joint industry-UNESCO-IUCN review proposes wording for the policy guidelines that would prohibit extractive industry operations in natural World Heritage sites. The proposed wording would provide for the committee to encourage and assist governments in ending any existing concessions or operations. And it proposes that governments take legislative and planning measures to prevent negative impacts on natural World Heritage sites by extractive industry operations beyond their boundaries.

The World Heritage List includes 951 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers to have outstanding universal value.

These include 739 cultural sites, 183 natural sites and 29 mixed cultural-natural properties in 155 countries. As of March 2012, 189 of the world's 193 governments had ratified the World Heritage Convention.

Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Survey of Greed, Tragedy, and Ignorance

ORIGINAL: DipNote

BY ROBERT D. HORMATS

MAY 23, 2012

Robert D. Hormats serves as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment.

Since the beginning of 2012, over 250 elephants have been killed in Cameroon. Adults are being slaughtered for ivory to be used for jewelry, ornaments, and traditional medicine; young juveniles and infants are being killed indiscriminately or left orphaned to die without the protection of their mothers. Having lived in Kenya and Tanzania earlier in my life, I experienced firsthand the wonder of African elephants in their native habitats. That's why I feel a personal sense of outrage at the senseless and immoral killing of wildlife. We should all feel outrage -- even those who have not had the privilege to see elephants close up -- because the conservation of our planet's wildlife is an moral obligation we all share. The U.S. government has consistently been among the leaders in the efforts to protect elephants and other wildlife, but to be effective it's vital that all governments and citizens take ownership and pride in the biodiversity of their communities.

Despite the elephant massacre in Cameroon, we've made some progress. A decision of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 1989 made ivory trade effectively illegal. Before the CITES ban, poaching for ivory led to a dramatic decline in the African elephant population (from an estimated 1.2 million African elephants in the late 1970s to less than 500,000 in 1989). The ban was -- at least until recently--relatively successful, helping to sustain, and aid the recovery of, elephant populations in several countries. Unfortunately, the trend seems to be reversing because of growing demand for ivory from Asia, in particular in China, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Cameroonian elephants have fallen victim to armed poachers invading from Chad and Sudan. A third to a half of the savanna elephant population in the Bouba Ndjida National Park, in northern Cameroon, have been killed. Park rangers and local authorities are no match for highly organized poachers, who are armed with automatic weaponry and employ ruthless tactics. The Cameroonian government authorized military intervention to protect elephant populations in March, with some success. Although the poachers have been driven out of the park and some weapons and ivory tusks confiscated, the threat continues because demand for ivory is high and there is money to be made. A pound of raw ivory sells for about $400 on the black market and, in China, ivory bracelets and earrings can fetch upwards of $300.

INTERPOL estimates illegal wildlife trade to be worth between $10-20 billion annually. Conservation efforts are thwarted, local communities are robbed of economic resources, and biodiversity is reduced when species are taken from the wild. The loss in ecosystem resilience affects fresh water supply and food production. Rule of law and national security issues are also a concern. Organized crime is attracted to wildlife trafficking for its profitability, small risk of prosecution, as well as light fines and jail sentences. Criminals who deliberately cross international borders, violate national laws with relative impunity, and attempt to corrupt government officials are a serious threat to the stability, economy, and natural resources of a country. In Cameroon, for example, proceeds from poached ivory will likely finance the purchase of weapons and ammunition, further exacerbating conflict in the region.

To catch poachers, we need to help other countries reinforce customs and border controls, enact tougher wildlife crime laws, educate prosecutors and the judges about the seriousness of such crimes, and provide resources and training to law enforcement authorities. And, it's vital that we curb demand for ivory as well as other wild animals and derived parts (e.g., rhino horns, tortoise shells, bear paws, and exotic birds). Consumers need to be made aware that wearing wildlife is not attractive nor will consuming wildlife products likely cure their ailments. They cannot claim ignorance when it comes to the cruel tactics poachers employ and the lives -- both human and animal -- that are lost in the name of fads and fashions.

The United States has been at the forefront of international efforts to dismantle and bring a halt to the illegal wildlife trade. In 2005, the Department of State launched the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking. And, in July 2011, the White House released the President's National Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime and Converging Threats to National Security; this highlighted environmental crimes as being among the top five most lucrative criminal activities. The Department of State has helped to form regional wildlife enforcement networks in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central America. And, in April, the U.S. embassies in Gabon and the Central African Republic -- in partnership with the Government of Gabon -- brought together law enforcement, government officials, and conservations to share best practices to curb illicit wildlife trafficking.

Neither governments nor individual citizens can afford to stand idle while poachers and wildlife traffickers hunt elephants, or any threatened species. Collective outrage at these horrendous crimes is needed to spur action. The United States will continue to support citizens and governments to protect our planet's wildlife.

Editor's Note: This entry also appears on The Huffington Post.

El martirio de los elefantes: Una triste historia de codicia

ORIGINAL: AlJazzera

Por Julie Owono, Periodista independiente de Camerún y consultor de relaciones internacionales con sede en París.

07 de marzo 2012

Un reciente masacre en masa de los elefantes muestra el gobierno de Camerún está deplorablemente preparados para lidiar con los cazadores furtivos.

Cazadores furtivos dieron muerte a cerca de 450 elefantes en el país centroafricano de Camerún [EPA]

París, Francia - El año 2012 comenzó dramáticamente para los elefantes en el país de África central de Camerún. Según la ONU, 450 cadáveres de estos animales, una especie protegida - se han encontrado en el Parque Nacional de Bouba N'Djida, cerca de la frontera norte de Camerún y Chad. La masacre es especialmente preocupante dado que, a partir de 2007, la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN) estima que sólo entre 1.000 y 5.000 elefantes todavía quedan en Camerún.

La masacre es una muestra lamentable que a pesar de los esfuerzos serios, la caza furtiva continúa dañando la biodiversidad de Camerún, poniendo en peligro a un animal tan importante en el imaginario colectivo de un continente.

El Ministerio para Bosques y de Fauna Silvestre de Camerún, la agencia gubernamental a cargo de la lucha contra la caza furtiva de la política del país, vio recortado su presupuesto de $ 43 millones en 2011 a sólo US $ 33 millones en 2012. El dinero dedicado específicamente a la acción contra la caza furtiva era sólo US $ 2 millones en 2011 - una cantidad claramente insuficiente para abordar el problema.

El Parque Nacional Bouba N'Djida, donde los elefantes fueron asesinados, comprende alrededor de 2.200 kilómetros cuadrados, lo que es el área protegida más grande en el país. Sólo cinco guardias patrullan sus alrededores, uno de ellos fue asesinado en 2011. Ellos reciben un salario modesto de US $ 160 por mes. En abril de 2011, se anunció que la embajada de EE.UU. donó US $ 39,000 dólares en equipo para el parque, incluyendo motocicletas, bicicletas, radios, cámaras digitales y porras.

Teniendo en cuenta que los cazadores furtivos-que se describen como de Sudán y Chad - que jinetes cruzan la frontera armados con Kalashnikovs, sólo podemos tomar nota de la impotencia de los guardias de Camerún. Además, el mal gobierno del país y los altos niveles de corrupción no ayudan.

La creciente demanda de marfil, agrava el problema. La Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora Silvestres (CITES), trata de regular el comercio internacional de animales salvajes, y mantenerlo en un nivel que no ponga en peligro la supervivencia de las especies. Pero el deseo de marfil ha ido en aumento en Asia, concretamente en China y Tailandia, donde la demanda se dice que es más alta. Ciudadanos ricos están dispuestos a pagar cualquier precio para comprar un bien dice que tiene poderes médicos y mística.