Six natural wonders declared World Heritage Sites05/07/2012 15:13:46 Saharan lakes and Western Ghats amongst new World Heritage Sites
July 2012. Sangha Trinational - shared between Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo; Lakes of Ounianga in Chad and Chengjiang fossil site in China have been inscribed on the World Heritage List, following the recommendations of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Lena Pillars Nature Park in Russia and Western Ghats in India were also added to the prestigious list by the World Heritage Committee, a 21-nation panel.
IUCN, the official World Heritage advisory body on nature, presented the findings of its comprehensive evaluations of the natural values of nine sites to the World Heritage Committee. Chad is joining the World Heritage family for the first time.
"Sangha Trinational is not a fragment but part of a much larger intact environment with good conservation prospects, and harbouring critically endangered species," says Tim Badman, Director of IUCN's World Heritage Programme. "We welcome the fact that this globally significant forest landscape has been recognized by the World Heritage Committee."
The Lakes of Ounianga
"The Lakes of Ounianga are a jewel of the Sahara, not only of overwhelming natural beauty, but a testimony to the fragile and unique equilibrium of life on earth," says Youssouph Diedhiou of IUCN's Protected Areas Programme in Central and Western Africa. "IUCN is delighted that Chad's first outstanding natural area is joining the prestigious World Heritage list."Chengjiang Fossil Site
The rocks of the Chengjiang Fossil Site, near the city of Kunming in the Yuann Province of China, are evidence of the rapid appearance and diversification of species and evolutionary development, also known as the Cambrian explosion, which took place over 530 million years ago. The exceptional remains of species recorded at Chengjiang are key to understanding the early evolution of life on Earth.
"The inscription of the Chengjiang Fossil Site on the World Heritage List recognises this iconic site, which provides direct evidence of the origin of animal diversity," says Tim Badman, Director of IUCN's World Heritage Programme. "The preservation of this exceptional window on the earliest stages of the evolution of biodiversity on our planet is of great scientific importance for the future."
Lena Pillars Nature Park
"The Western Ghats and Lena Pillars are certainly regions that hold spectacular natural values, but IUCN's evaluations considered that more work was needed on these nominations to meet the standards the Convention has set in its Operational Guidelines," says Badman. "We welcome these sites to the World