World Heritage Committee inscribes two new natural sites from China and Namibia on UNESCO World Heritage List
Namib Sand Sea (Namibia) © Paul van Schalkwyk / Paul van Schalkwyk
China’s Xinjiang Tianshan and Namib Sand Sea (Namibia) were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on Friday. Mount Kenya-Lewa Wildlife conservancy (Kenya), was also inscribed as an extension to Mount Kenya Natural Park / Natural Forest.
Namib Sand Sea (Namibia)
Namib Sand Sea (Namibia) is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog. Covering an area of over three million hectares and a buffer zone of 899,500 hectares, the site is composed of two dune systems, an ancient semi-consolidated one overlain by a younger active one. The desert dunes are formed by the transportation of materials thousands of kilometres from the hinterland, that are carried by river, ocean current and wind. It features gravel plains, coastal flats, rocky hills, inselbergs within the sand sea, a coastal lagoon and ephemeral rivers, resulting in a landscape of exceptional beauty. Fog is the primary source of water in the site, accounting for a unique environment in which endemic invertebrates, reptiles and mammals adapt to an ever-changing variety of microhabitats and ecological niches. more...
This is the first natural site in Namibia to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The World Heritage Committee is currently holding its 37th session in Phnom Penh. The session will close in Angkor on 27 June.
Media contacts: Roni Amelan and Agnès Bardon : +33 (0)6 31 54 30 36 or +855 95 440 774
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Photos will be available:
Media contacts: Roni Amelan and Agnès Bardon : +33 (0)6 31 54 30 36 or +855 95 440 774
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Photos will be available:
www.unesco.org/new/whc-photos
Video footage for broadcasters at: www.unesco.org/new/new-inscriptions
Video footage for broadcasters at: www.unesco.org/new/new-inscriptions
Namib Sand Sea - Brief Description
Namib Sand Sea is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog. Covering an area of over three million hectares and a buffer zone of 899,500 hectares, the site is composed of two dune systems, an ancient semi-consolidated one overlain by a younger active one. The desert dunes are formed by the transportation of materials thousands of kilometres from the hinterland, that are carried by river, ocean current and wind. It features gravel plains, coastal flats, rocky hills, inselbergs within the sand sea, a coastal lagoon and ephemeral rivers, resulting in a landscape of exceptional beauty. Fog is the primary source of water in the site, accounting for a unique environment in which endemic invertebrates, reptiles and mammals adapt to an ever-changing variety of microhabitats and ecological niches. more...