Nyungwe and Odzala-Kokoua join UNESCO heritage

Rwanda is no longer one of 12 African countries that do not have a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Nyungwe National Park, a tropical forest of almost 102,000 hectares, located in the southwest of the East African country, is now included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision was taken on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, during a session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee, held in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Nyungwe National Park is indeed one of the most important sites for bird conservation in Africa. It is home to 12 species of mammals and 317 recorded species of birds, seven of which are globally threatened. The park also contains the most important natural habitats for a number of species found nowhere else in the world, including the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis ssp. kandti) , globally threatened, and the critically endangered hill horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hillorum).

Odzala-Kokoua National Park

This is a double blow for the Congo Basin. The second largest tropical forest massif in the world saw two of its sites listed as UNESCO world heritage sites on the same day. The Odzala-Kokoua National Park, which extends over 13,546 km², in the northwest of the Republic of Congo, was also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on September 19, 2023.

“  This reaffirms Odzala’s position as a biological hotspot and one of the most species-rich areas in the world. It is home to several types of ecosystems (Congolese forest, Lower Guinea forest and savannah). Odzala is one of the most important strongholds for forest elephants in Central Africa and is home to the region's greatest diversity of primates, including the western lowland gorilla and chimpanzee,” describes African Parks Network .

The nature conservation non-governmental organization (NGO), based in Johannesburg, South Africa, manages the two new UNESCO heritage sites. This is within the framework of long-term conservation contracts, lasting 20 years, signed with the Rwandan and Congolese governments.

With their new status, Nyungwe and Odzala-Kokoua will attract more funding for conservation and research efforts. “ The first advantage is that the site benefits from immediate international recognition, which is an asset for already protected sites. This stimulates tourism. This demonstrates social responsibility. The site can benefit from the UNESCO network and partners. Additionally, limited funding is associated with World Heritage status ,” says Charles Karangwa, the regional technical coordinator for forest landscapes and livelihoods at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for Africa eastern and southern.