The Practice of Protecting World Natural Heritage Sites in Africa

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the practice of protecting World Natural Heritage sites "Manovo-Gounda-Saint-Floris National Park" (Central African Republic) and "National Parks on Lake Turkana" (Kenya). The most typical problems for African States in the preservation of unique natural sites are noted, the legal positions of the World Heritage Committee on the implementation of international obligations for the preservation of World Natural Heritage sites are considered, in which such problems are legally reflected. The problems of finding sources of financing for environmental protection activities in African countries, as well as the lack of human resources to ensure effective management of World Natural Heritage sites are highlighted. The approaches of the World Heritage Committee to the implementation of projects for the construction of hydroelectric power plants affecting the ecosystem of Lake Turkana are considered. The novelty of this work is predetermined by the shortage of specialized studies devoted to the fulfillment by foreign states of international obligations to protect world natural heritage sites in domestic legal science. The analysis of the experience of protecting World Natural Heritage sites in African countries allows us to summarize the conclusions significant for the Russian practice of protecting World Heritage sites, extrapolate them to the problems of protecting the World Heritage site "Lake Baikal", as well as formulate new proposals and approaches to improving environmental policy in this area. Noting the important role of the World Heritage Convention in the development of hydropower, there is an obvious need for the early formation of an international regulatory framework with border foreign states.