The Mozambican Government described today’s inscription of Maputo National Park on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a “historic and proud moment.”
“It is a historic and proud moment for Mozambique,” said Gustavo Dgedge, Secretary of State for Land and Environment, quoted in a statement from Maputo National Park. UNESCO officially inscribed Maputo National Park on the World Heritage List today.
The inscription was adopted during the organization’s 47th meeting held in Paris, with UNESCO highlighting that Maputo National Park “includes terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems and is home to nearly 5,000 species. The site complements the conservation values of iSimangaliso [the contiguous South African park], enhancing biodiversity protection across the Maputo region’s ecosystem.”
“To be recognized by UNESCO is a powerful endorsement of the work being done here. It honors the dedication of our Government, communities, and partners in restoring this unique landscape,” added the Secretary of State for Land and Environment.
In the same statement, Maputo National Park said that its inscription on the World Heritage List represents an “important step forward for biodiversity protection (…) marking a significant achievement for Mozambique and an important advancement for biodiversity protection on the African continent.”
UNESCO noted earlier that Maputo Park features “diverse habitats including lakes, lagoons, mangroves, and coral reefs,” as well as long beaches, dunes, swamps, extensive wetlands, and various grasses, providing habitat for a range of Southern African marine species, and highlighting its long-standing conservation.
Maputo Park is linked to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa, which already has World Heritage status.
The history of environmental protection south of Mozambique’s capital began in 1932, then as a small hunting area where elephants were the main prey. In 1969, the local biodiversity importance led to the area being classified as the Maputo Special Reserve.
The response to the decline caused by the civil war following independence gained momentum in 2006 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Government and the Peace Parks Foundation.
As a result of this cooperation, Maputo National Park has been expanding continuously since 2010, benefiting from several species reintroduction and translocation programs.
Iconic giraffes and elephants inhabit the park and are often seen near the National Road 1 (N1), but Maputo National Park combines both “marine and terrestrial” aspects, covering a total area of 1,718 square kilometers.
Officially, it was created on December 7, 2021, by joining two contiguous protected areas: the Maputo Special Reserve (1,040 square kilometers of terrestrial area) and the Partial Marine Reserve of Ponta do Ouro (678 square kilometers).
The park’s administrator told Lusa on July 4 that the status elevation will change the “visibility of the park,” presenting it to the world “as a heritage of humanity for being unique,” with “universal values” defended by UNESCO.
With the elevation of the Mozambican park to World Heritage status, the administrator said earlier that the two parties (Mozambique and South Africa) will advance discussions to find a new management approach, focusing primarily on species movement.
“If realized, a joint committee and a joint operational plan [with South Africa] will be created. Management is individual for each country, but there must be coordination together” to “maintain the value” of both parks, the administrator said.
Source: Lusa
