#ASDailyScoop: UNESCO grants world heritage status to Bale Mountains National Park, Gedeo Cultural Landscape
Addis Abeba – The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during the ongoing 45th session of the World Heritage Committee (WRC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, granted World Heritage status to Bale Mountains National Park and the Gedeo Cultural Landscape, bringing Ethiopia’s inscription to the UNESCO World Heritage list to 11.
The Bale Mountains National Park has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site on Monday, becoming the second Ethiopian natural heritage site to receive the designation following the Semien Mountains National Park, a day after the inscription of the Gedeo Cultural Landscape was announced on Sunday, 17 September.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Tourism, the Bale Mountains “are a haven of lush greenery and abundant wildlife, offering breathtaking panoramic views and a stock of wild coffee forests, boasting an array of outstanding trekking trails that cater to adventurous enthusiasts”, whereas the Gedeo Cultural Landscape “encompasses the harmonious interplay of an agroforestry system, breathtaking megalithic monuments, captivating rock art sites, and sacred ritual forests”.
Aksum (1980), Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar (1979), Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town (2006), Konso Cultural Landscape (2011), Lower Valley of the Awash (1980), Lower Valley of the Omo (1980), Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela (1978), Tiya (1980) and the Gedeo Cultural Landscape (2023) are the nine Ethiopian UNESCO cultural World Heritage list whereas Simien Mountains National Park (1978) and the Bale Mountains National Park (2023) make the two Ethiopian UNESCO natural World Heritages. AS
