Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981 under criterion (x) referring to its unique biodiversity and exceptional ecosystems, the Niokolo-Koba National Park(Senegal) has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 2007, due to various disturbances to its biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as the emergence of development projects. It is in this context that UNESCO is supporting the State Party of Senegal, in particular the National Parks Directorate (DPN), through the project "Towards removing Niokolo-Koba National Park from the List of World Heritage in Danger," financed by a contribution from the Norwegian government.

To this end, UNESCO, in collaboration with IUCN and DPN, organised a round table in Dakar in November 2021 to consult technical and financial partnersabout the property. Following this, a roadmap has been prepared during the period 2022-2023 summarising the key actions to be undertaken to implement corrective measures and achieve the DSOCR.

To support the considerable efforts made by the State Party of Senegal, on 27 March, UNESCO, represented by the Director of its Regional Office for West Africa, handed over a batch of equipment to the property's management team to support ecological monitoring of the key species of the Outstanding Universal Value, communication, and awareness-raising among riverside communities. This included 10 tablets with pockets, 2 desktop computers, 1 video projector with screen, 1 camera and 1 rechargeable large-model baffle. The equipment was greatly appreciated by the management team, who expressed their gratitude to UNESCO for the ongoing technical and financial support provided to the property.

©UNESCO / Théodore Somda

Delivery of ecological monitoring and awareness-raising equipment to the Niokolo-Koba National Park management team

This equipment will also contribute to the training provided by UNESCO and its partners in SMART, Cybertracker, photogrammetry and drone piloting, which will be provided in the near future to support the management team in its ecological monitoring efforts. Other activities are also planned, such as the development of tracks in the property, studies on the sustainability of the ponds, the construction of solar-powered hydraulic structures for the ponds (in the pilot phase), as well as a regional tour to raise awareness of cattle roaming, zoonotic diseases and collisions with wildlife in road traffic.