Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area

• Indigenous hunting, gathering and collecting (Collection of medicinal plants)
• Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
• Management systems/ management plan (need to consolidate management of the Parwati Valley within the national park)
• Human resources (inadequate levels of staffing, equipment and training for patrolling in high-altitude terrain)
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
• Others (Rights issues with respect to local communities and indigenous peoples in the Tirthan and Sainj Wildlife Sanctuaries and in the Jiwanal Valley within the national park) (issue resolved)

On 1 December 2023, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1406/documents and reports the following:

• The commitment to extend the property to include Khirganga and Pin Valley National Parks and Rupi Bhabha and Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuaries is reiterated. The decision to merge Khirganga National Park with the property has been taken, the settlement of rights of local people within the National Park is underway, and its merger with the property is based on final notification of National Park status;
• The State Party acknowledges the importance of meaningful involvement of local stakeholders and rights holders in the governance and management of the property, including its extension. Reported activities include planning, implementation, monitoring, protection and conservation activities for the property, such as co-management, improving local livelihoods, capacity building workshops, and education programmes;
• Regarding the request to conduct an assessment of impacts from existing resource use on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in particular grazing and collection of medicinal plants, it is stated that the impact in the property is minimal and that the buffer zone (Ecozone) fulfils the community requirements for fuelwood, fodder, timber, and other natural resources, where the majority of medicinal plants are collected (extraction not allowed in the property);
• With technical support from the Category 2 Centre Wildlife Institute of India (C2C-WII), monitoring protocols have been developed for long-term monitoring of the OUV, focused on key attributes (key species of fauna and flora);
• A study initiated in 2023 through a Memorandum of Agreement with C2C-WII to assess the current status of livestock grazing in and around the Tirthan and Sainj Wildlife Sanctuaries, and plan to phase out grazing, will be completed by January 2024;
• Management deficiencies identified in the 2018-19 Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) have been addressed, including identification of the number of eco-tourism treks and regulation of visitors through permits, total livestock ban in the property (most grazing is in Ecozone), the aforementioned systematic annual wildlife monitoring protocol for the entire property (including Ecozone and Wildlife Sanctuaries) by management authorities, and training by C2C-WII;
• The State Party is in contact with C2C-WII on matters related to the property and to consider how best to proceed with identifying options for potential new nominations in the region and contribute to regional comparatives studies.

The State Party’s continued commitment to extending the property in response to the Committee’s request at the time of inscription (Decision 38 COM 8B.7) to include the Khirganga and Pin Valley National Parks and Rupi Bhabha and Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuaries is welcome, and progress towards the merger of the Khirganga National Park is noted. Recalling that limited information on the progress of the extension, including the involvement of local stakeholders and rights-holders in the extension process, was provided for the 2021 Committee session, no further information is provided regarding the other three areas whilst awaiting the final notification of the National Park status for Khirganga (which is required to merge the park with the property). It is therefore recommended that in its next report, the State Party provide an update on progress in undertaking consultations with communities and stakeholders to progressively extend the property, which will increase its integrity. In this regard, the State Party’s acknowledgement of the importance of meaningful engagement of local communities in the evaluation process is noted, as are the reported activities related to the management of the property. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN remain available to provide technical guidance in relation to a Significant Boundary Modification of the property, if requested.

The development of monitoring protocols for the long-term monitoring of the OUV is welcomed and it is recommended that the Committee requests more details on the planned monitoring system in its next report, including on the first results of this work.

The State Party’s statement that impact from existing resource use within the property is minimal, and that the Ecozone fulfils local community resource requirements is noted. The information that the extraction of medicinal plants is not allowed in the property is noted, but it is recommended that the Committee requests further details on the consultation of local stakeholders and rights-holders in this process, recalling that IUCN noted during the Evaluation process that this requires sensitive resolution that is sympathetic to rights of communities, fostering alternative livelihoods and the conservation of the area. Regarding grazing, it is welcomed that a study is being undertaken to assess the current status of livestock grazing in and around the Tirthan and Sainj Wildlife Sanctuaries, with a plan to phase out grazing. In line with the Committee’s previous requests, it is recommended that the State Party submits to the World Heritage Centre, the report of the study as soon as it is available as well as further information on plans to phase out grazing, and any management decisions implemented as a result of the study. Regarding the total ban on grazing within the property, it is recommended that further details be provided on the process followed to implement the ban, including specifically regarding community involvement.

The various reported actions to address management deficiencies identified in the 2018-19 MEE, such as systematic annual wildlife monitoring for the entire property and addressing pressures from grazing and resource use, are positive. It is recommended that the State Party continue an adaptive management approach towards improving management effectiveness for the property.

Noting that the State Party is considering how best to identify potential new nominations in the region following the Leveraging the World Heritage Convention for conservation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya report published in 2021 in collaboration between States Parties, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), IUCN and other partners, it is recommended the State Party continues engaging with relevant States Parties in the context of the report findings.