UNESCO has inscribed two Southern African sites; Mozambique’s Maputo National Park and Malawi’s Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape, onto the World Heritage List during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris.
In addition, Madagascar’s Rainforests of the Atsinanana have been removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger following conservation successes.
Maputo National Park is Mozambique’s second but first natural World Heritage Site.
Located in southern Mozambique, the park encompasses a wide range of coastal and terrestrial ecosystems including coral reefs, seagrass beds, wetlands, freshwater lakes and mangroves.
“This is a proud and historic moment for Mozambique,” said Gustavo Dgedge, Mozambique’s Secretary of State for Land and Environment. “To be recognised by UNESCO is a powerful endorsement of the work being done here. It honours the dedication of our government, communities and partners to restore this unique landscape.”
The park provides key nesting grounds for leatherback and loggerhead turtles, and hosts the world’s largest aggregation of giant kingfish while serving as a migratory bird stopover.
Originally established to protect coastal elephants, the park now supports over 5 000 reintroduced game animals with tourism and community co-management at its core.
Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape in southern Malawi covers nearly 90 000 hectares and includes one of the world’s largest inselbergs, Mount Mulanje. The site holds deep cultural significance for the Yao, Mang’anja and Lhomwe peoples who continue to sustain traditional practices and beliefs linked to the mountain’s sacred status.
The area is valued for its spiritual and ecological importance.
