More needed to save Congo鈥檚 natural heritage
A rescue plan for the five Democratic Republic of听Congo sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger will be the focus of today鈥檚 high-level meeting organized by the Congolese authorities and UNESCO.
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香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播, which is the independent advisory body to the World Heritage Committee on natural sites, urges not only the DRC government and the international community, but also the extractive industries to combine efforts to stop the ongoing deterioration of these exceptional sites.
DR Congo is the only country in Africa with five natural sites on the World Heritage List. One by one, these sites were put on the Danger List at the request of the DRC, starting in the mid 90s due to civil war, widespread poaching and deforestation.
Virunga, Garamba, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga National Parks and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, are home to a unique range of flora and fauna including the Mountain Gorilla, the Okapi听 - a forest giraffe only found in DRC - and the near-extinct Northern White Rhino. The Congo basin forests are also the second largest forest block in the world after the Amazon.
鈥淭he world鈥檚 most precious natural sites are often the most vulnerable,鈥 says Aim茅 Nianogo, Director of 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播鈥檚 Central and West Africa Programme. 鈥淣ow we have a chance to make a difference and we should grasp it, otherwise we risk losing not only emblematic species, but entire forest ecosystems, which provide the products and services necessary for the survival of 30 million people in Central Africa.鈥
香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播, which is responsible for the evaluation and monitoring of these sites since the inscription of Virunga in 1979, has noted that while the situation in some of the sites, such as Okapi,has improved, other sites, such as Virunga, home of the Mountain Gorilla, are facing new threats like the ones from oil and gas exploration.
鈥淭he five World Heritage sites in DRC are of global importance, and need a global response to their critical situation - a stronger political committment by the government of DRC and the international community is crucial if we are to save these exceptional sites on which so many people depend,鈥 says Nianogo.
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Spokespeople:
鈥 Aim茅 Nianogo, Director of 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播鈥檚 Central and West Africa Programme, e. [email protected]
鈥 Mariam Kenza Ali, World Heritage Conservation Officer, m. + 41 00 41 78 944 64 19, e.
For more information, and to set up interviews, please contact:
Borjana Pervan, Media Relations Officer, 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播, m +41 79 8574072, e
About 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播
香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播 is the world鈥檚 oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,000 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播鈥檚 work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NG and private sectors around the world. 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播 is the independent advisory body to the World Heritage Committee on natural heritage
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