Gland, Switzerland , 12 July 2006 (IUCN) - The World Heritage Committee, meeting this week in Vilnius , Lithuania , decided not to inscribe the threatened Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra on the “World Heritage in Danger” list. The site is seriously threatened by agricultural encroachment, extensive deforestation and proposed road development, as a recent mission by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) had shown. However, the Committee will consider danger listing in 2007 if no progress has been made in addressing the threats to the site.

Furthermore, the Committee removed two African wetland sites from the danger list, reducing the number of natural danger sites from 15 to 13, out of 160 natural World Heritage properties. The danger list is for sites which are threatened by serious and specific danger and require major action for their conservation.

Number of World Heritage sites in danger reduced to 13

Following its monitoring mission to the site, IUCN, the official advisory body on natural World Heritage sites had recommended inscribing the Sumatran Rainforest site on the danger list. IUCN believes that danger listing would have helped draw attention to the urgent conservation needs of this remarkable biodiversity hotspot and help mobilize the necessary resources for developing and implementing an emergency action plan.

The 2.5 million hectare Sumatran Rainforest World Heritage site comprises three national parks: Gunung Leuser National Park , Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park . The site holds the greatest potential for long term conservation of the distinctive and diverse biota of Sumatra , including many endangered species. It is home to an estimated 10,000 plant species, some 580 bird species, and more than 200 mammal species, including the Sumatran orangutan.

At the same time, the World Heritage Committee removed Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary ( Senegal ) and Ichkeul National Park ( Tunisia ) from the List of World Heritage in Danger. Djoudi National Bird Sanctuary comprises a large lake, which together with its surrounding wetland ecosystems, provides a sanctuary to over 1.5 million birds including the white pelican. Similarly, the Ichkeul wetland and lake are a major stopover point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, such as the pink flamingoes.

IUCN informed the Committee that considerable improvements have been made in the regeneration of both wetland ecosystems; however IUCN also stressed that continued and major efforts are still needed to protect these sites. Following a long debate about the ecological restoration of the sites and the adequacy of current conservation commitments from the responsible governments, the Committee decided to reward the work done to date and to encourage continued efforts. The progress with these commitments will be examined at the next session of the Committee in one year.

The Committee also discussed the state of conservation of some 50 other natural and mixed World Heritage sites, for which IUCN had prepared detailed reports and recommendations, and requested a number of monitoring missions and specific actions from State Parties with sites under threat.

Notes to the editors

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

In Switzerland:

• Carolin Wahnbaeck, Global Media Relations Officer, The World Conservation Union (IUCN),
  Tel: +41 22 999 0127, e-mail: carolin.wahnbaeckiucn.org, www.iucn.org
• Sarah Gindre, Protected Areas Programme, The World Conservation Union (IUCN),
  Tel: +41 22 999 0161, e-mail: sarah.gindreiucn.org, www.iucn.org

In Vilnius, Lithuania:

• Georgina Peard, World Heritage Officer, The World Conservation Union (IUCN),
  Mobile: +41 79 219 4407, , e-mail: georgina.peardiucn.org, www.iucn.org
  

Photos are available at: http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wheritage/wh2006photos/whphotos2006.html

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Created in 1948, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) brings together 81 States, 113 government agencies and 850 plus NGOs in a unique worldwide partnership. The Union’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

The World Conservation Union is the world's largest environmental knowledge network and has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. The Union is a multicultural, multilingual organization with 1000 staff located in 62 countries and its headquarters is based in Gland, Switzerland. www.iucn.org; pressiucn.org.