Report No. PID8843

Project Name Mauritania-Cultural Heritage Project

Region Africa

Sector Social Development

Project ID MRPE64570 Public Disclosure Authorized Borrower(s) Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Implementing Agencies Permanent Secretariat of the National CH Board

Environment Category C

Date PID prepared December 1998

Projected Appraisal Date April, 2000

Projected Board Date May, 2000

Public Disclosure Authorized Country and Sector Background

1. The Cultural Heritage of Mauritania developed over several milleniums. It includes numerous prehistoric sites, which are unfortunately being looted by foreigners or Mauritanians for whom the sale of relics of the past (cut flints, potery works, tools, etc.) constitutes an income. The historic sites are better known but are abandoned, except in the case of emergency rehabilitations. These are cities like Azougui from where the Almoravides left to conquest Morocco and Spain or Tegdaoust and Koumbi Saleh, which were key cities of the Ghana empire in the Middle Age. The holly Cities of Chinguetti, Ouadane, Tichitt, and Oualatta are registered as "Patrimony of the World" by UNESCO. Mauritania CH also includes ancient prestigious libraries and Archives which contain exhaustive documentation on the historic, economic, cultural, social past of Mauritania, but may vanish if no action is taken to Public Disclosure Authorized preserve them. Over the centuries music and poetry also attracted crowds but are being lost with time and should be preserved as well as nomad and crafts skills.

2. Expressions of artistic traditions are at nisk of being transformed into "airport culture" to meet the demands of a limited tourist market. Today, few of Mauritania's historic sites are managed with the view that they have much to offer to the national, regional, and local economies. Despite their significant influence on Mauritanian heritage, these rich centers of culture are surrounded by communities of poverty.

Project Objectives

4. Given this background, Government is seeking Bank support with a Learning and Innovation Loan to assist it in testing out and developing the Public Disclosure Authorized means for more fully integrating the conservation and management of its cultural heritage into local and national economic development. The decision to process it as a LIL is because of strong capacity building elements, the pilot nature of individual components for which viable technical, financial, and social solutions need to be tested and developed, and the need for experimentation with different partnership arrangements with respect to the involvement of international private foundations, international and local NGOs, local and regional administrations, communities, and groups of artisans and craftsmen.

5. The project would support the conservation and valorization of cultural heritage assets through restoration and preservation of archaeological and historic sites, ancient manuscripts, libraries, and would contribute to the revitalization of economic activity in these areas through the creation of small size enterprises and by capitalizing on tourism potential.

Project Description

6. The project comprises three components:

A cultural heritage protection component that funds the inventory activities of research, preservation (museums, manuscripts) and of rehabilitation (buildings, sites etc). Training activities will enhance capacities in this sector(preservation, archivist etc).

A Cultural heritage promotion component including the development of tourism and craft industry. The funds for this component will be basically directed to non permanent cultural initiatives (festivals, publications, exhibitions guide books, micro-credit for local communities and craft industry cooperatives, professional training)

A cultural heritage management component. aimed at setting up a new institutional and financial plan, with the establishement of the CH national Board, a Scientific Committee and the Secreatariat Permanent of the CH Board. It will also finance manuals of procedures and some fees of the project functioning and capacity building activities for IMRS, FNVA and Minister de la Culture.

Project Financing in US$ '000s

Component IDA GOM Subtotal

CH-Protection component 2,4 0,3 2,7 CH-Promotion component 1,5 1,5 CH-Management component 1,1 0,2 1,3

5,0 0,5 5,5

Project implementation

7. The project would be implemented over 3 years under the guidance of the CH National Board and its scientific Committee. The latter will assess the eligibility of cultural initiatives to project financing and would comprise experts, and representatives from the major institutions involved, including the National Center for Reasearch (IMRS), the University, the Historic Cities National Foundation, The Banc d'Arguin Foundation, the Mauritanian Tourism department, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Development, etc Project management would be the responsibility of the Secretariat of the Board of the CH National Board.

-2- Project sustainability

8. The project would be designed as a pilot, learning, operation with a strong monitoring and evaluation component.

Environmental aspects

9. No major environmental impacts are envisaged. It is expected that most construction activities would involve the renovation of existing buildings, and that little new construction will be required. A Project Implementation Plan will be prepared prior to Appraisal will provide guidelines cost effectively to mitigate any possible negative environmental impacts. The implementing agency will invite the National Environment Bureau in the Ministry of Rural Development to review the project proposal and, where any monitoring is required, will involve the Directorate

Other contact points:

The InfoShop The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 458-5454 Fax: (202) 522-1500

Task Manager Jean Mazurelle WB Country Office Manager Nouakchott, Mauritania Telephone: (222) 25 10 17 Fax: (222) 25 13 34

Note: This is information on an involving project. Certain components may not be necessarily included in the final project.

Processed by the InfoShop week ending March 31, 2000.

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