The World Heritage Centre have published the amended draft decision text relating to the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage Site in advance of the Committee discussing the Site at its 48th Session in Busan, South Korea.
Download the amended text document direct from the UNESCO website here.
The amended text, proposed by Committee members
[suggested deleted text in red, additional text in blue]
4. Expresses serious concern that possible cumulative impacts from
large-scale infrastructure and ever-increasing tourism developments within the property, its
buffer zone, and wider setting where applicable continue to pose a significant threat to the Outstanding Universal
Value (OUV) of the property, a situation exacerbated, among other things, by
the fact that several proposed development projects, which the States Parties have indicated to be at
the scoping stage, are currently underway will continue receiving, and invites the States Parties to continue and provideing further details on any ongoing or future
the
reported development projects that are will be under consideration as soon as more information is
available; ...
6. Notes with regret that no
update was provided regarding the third-party concerns related that the State Party
of Zimbabwe has a response in place relating to permits for two commercial tourism
developments in highly sensitive zones on the Zimbabwean component of the
property and will be duly submitted, and noting that information available online indicates that
these developments have already commenced operation, expresses its deep concern about the
potentially irreversible impacts of these projects on the integrity and the
visual attributes of the property and urgently requests the States Parties to
report on the monitoring and mitigation measures in place to ensure that the
infrastructures do not negatively affect the OUV of the property; ...
8. Also reiterates its request to the States Parties to ensure that any project located within the property, its buffer zone, and wider setting, where applicable with potential impacts on the OUV is subject to assessment through ESIA or HIA in conformity with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context and submitted for review prior to any decision;
9. Expresses concern
regarding Notes the updates on the proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme (BGHES), provided by the
States Parties during a side event at the 47th Session, which was attended by
the World Heritage Centre, the Advisory Bodies and other global heritage
experts, and expresses continued concern regarding the proposed project and further reiterates its
request that the revised ESIA must be in full conformity line with the above-mentioned guidance, including a rigorous
assessment of alternative scenarios that avoid mitigate negative impacts on the OUV, as recommended by the 2022 Reactive
monitoring mission, taking into account the expected update of the ESIA being
undertaken by the States Parties and be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review,
prior to taking any decision that is difficult to reverse;
Further amendments are made to the text regarding the revised Joint Management Plan for the site (Point 10), including:
c) Establishing
enforceable visitor carrying capacities management mechanisms and strictly controlled areas in sensitive zones, ...
e) Strengthening the
consideration and management of cumulative and transboundary impacts on the OUV
of the property, particularly of major developments such as the proposed
BGHES and ongoing urban growth, including their potential effects on
hydrological regimes, ecological connectivity, geomorphological aspects, and visual integrity,
The proposed amended text also dilutes a specific request relating to controversial tourism developments on the south bank of the Site.
12. Also requests that information
on the current status of all proposed development projects, reported at the scoping stage including their
precise location, and scale, be submitted to the World Heritage Centre as soon
as such information becomes available, with particular attention to commercial
tourism developments, notably the Cataract Island
tours, Baines Restaurant, and Six senses
eco-lodges, located in highly sensitive areas, notably Cataract Island and its
riverine rainforest within the Zimbabwean component of the property;
Finally the amended text invites an 'Advisory Mission' to the Site:
13. Urges both States
Parties to invite Advisory
We question the motivations of these Committee representatives in apparently under-mining the draft text recommended by the World Heritage Centre and its advisory body, the IUCN. It is fairly obvious that the amendments relating to tourism development pressures have been made on behalf of the State Party of Zimbabwe.
It remains to be seen if the Committee will accept the proposed dilution of the draft text. The Committee are due to discuss the Site tomorrow (Friday) morning. A live feed of the session is available on the UNESCO website here (check time difference if viewing from outside South Korea).
See also:
Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (15th July 2026) World Heritage Committee Turns Its Attentions to Victoria Falls.
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