South Sudan's Boma-Badingilo landscape named World Heritage site, also put on danger list

The Boma-Badingilo migratory landscape in South Sudan has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognizing its ecological significance and the unique migrations it supports. This vast area, encompassing national parks and surrounding plains, is crucial for one of the world's largest terrestrial mammal migrations, driven by changing environmental conditions.

However, the inscription comes with a simultaneous placement on the List of World Heritage in Danger. UNESCO cited regional armed conflicts and the escalating impacts of climate change as primary threats to the site's integrity. The decision was made via the urgent procedure during the annual UNESCO assembly in Busan, South Korea.

The Boma-Badingilo landscape is not only ecologically vital but also culturally rich. It reflects the diverse ethnic groups who have historically managed this environment through pastoralism, agriculture, and fishing for millennia. UNESCO highlighted its exceptional scale, ecological connectivity, habitat diversity, and relative integrity as factors supporting globally rare ecological processes.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an official advisor to the World Heritage Committee, noted specific threats identified by South Sudan. These include insecurity and conflict, increased commercial poaching, potential extractive industries, and limited financial resources for conservation efforts. The inscription aims to draw international attention and support for safeguarding this vulnerable natural and cultural heritage.