A Negative Record: Arabian Oryx Sanctuary Removed from World Heritage List

For the first time in its history, UNESCO World Heritage Programme had to take the bad decision of removing one site from its glamorous list of global natural wonders, and the site in question is an Arabian Oryx sanctuary in Oman.

No bad feelings in politics, however. The Omani government was the one asking for removal of the site from the list and both UNESCO and IUCN had to comply, according to an IUCN press release.

The press release says that IUCN had identified serious threats to the natural values of the site for a number of years. These were discussed several times by the World Heritage Committee, which called for urgent action to redress the threats. The sanctuary’s problems included ineffective planning and management, poaching, oil and gas exploration and extensive and uncontrolled use of off-road vehicles within the site. With this package of problems, there is effectively no sanctuary functioning.

During the last joint IUCN and UNESCO monitoring mission to the sanctuary in January 2007, it was clear that the threats facing the site had escalated to unprecedented levels. In January, the Sultanate of Oman issued a Royal Decree reducing the size of the World Heritage site by 90% from 27,500 km² to 2,854 km².

This unprecedented action contravenes all the process adopted by the World Heritage Convention. With the extreme reduction in size, the property no longer has the outstanding universal value for which it was put on the World Heritage List.

The population of Arabian oryx has significantly declined from 450 in 1996 to a current situation where there is only one breeding herd of four females and four males. The capacity of the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary to maintain a viable free-ranging population of this endangered specie has been extremely reduced.

This is really a big loss. Among the Arab countries Oman has a very impressive record of environmental awareness and effective policies. To extend the damaging impact of modern industries and negative behaviours to a site known for its global natural importance is really a shocking situation.