World heritage sites declared in Kenya, Uganda

The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on Friday announced the addition of Lamu Old Town, eastern Kenya, and the Tombs of the Buganda Kings at Kasubi, southeastern Uganda, among 31 new sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. These cultural and natural sites constitute, together with many others, a shared heritage whose disappearance would be an irreparable loss to all people, yet most of which are threatened in some way, according to UNESCO. The World Heritage List now numbers 721 sites of "outstanding universal value" in 124 countries. "Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations," the agency states. "Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. They are our touchstones, our points of reference, our identity." Lamu Old Town, chosen as a cultural site of special significance, is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlements in East Africa which retains its traditional functions, according to the heritage listing. Built in coral stone and mangrove timber on the east coast of Kenya, the town is characterised by the simplicity of structural forms, enriched by such features as inner courtyards, verandas, and elaborately carved wooden doors. Lamu has hosted major Muslim religious festivals since the 19th century, and has become a significant centre for the study of Islamic and Swahili cultures. The Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi - a site embracing almost 30 hectares of hillside in a suburb of the Ugandan capital, Kampala - was also inscribed as a location of universal cultural merit. Most of the site is agricultural, farmed by traditional methods. At its core on the hilltop is the former palace of the Kabakas of Buganda, built in 1882 and converted into the royal burial ground in 1884, according to UNESCO. Four royal tombs now lie within the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, the main building, which is circular, surmounted by a dome. The tombs are "a major example of an architectural achievement in organic materials, principally wood, thatch, reed, wattle and daub," according to the heritage list. However, the site’s main significance lies "in its intangible values of belief, spirituality, continuity and identity," it added. The new listing, agreed at a meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Finland last week, also includes an extension of Lake Turkana National Parks, northwestern Kenya, noted as an outstanding laboratory for the study of plant and animal communities. See www.unesco.org/opi/eng/unescopress/2001/index.shtml The lake's Sibiloi and Central Island National Parks - previously listed in the Lake Turkana site, which has now been extended to include South Island National Park - serve as a stopover for migrant waterfowl and are major breeding grounds for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus and a variety of venomous snakes. In addition, the Koobi Fora deposits - rich in mammal, mollusc and other fossil remains - "have contributed more to the understanding of paleo-environments than any other site on the continent," the heritage listing said. The World Heritage Committee examines reports on the state of conservation of listed sites and requires state parties to take corrective measures when they are not managed properly. The states concerned must also adopt legislative and regulatory measures to protect their sites. One of the main responsibilities of the World Heritage Committee is to provide technical cooperation for safeguarding World Heritage Sites to state parties whose resources are insufficient to assure the protection of listed sites in their territories. A limited amount of money is made available each year, mainly to least developed or low income countries, to finance technical assistance and training projects, as well as for states to develop conservation projects. Emergency assistance is also available in the case of properties severely damaged by specific natural or man-made disasters, or threatened with imminent destruction. The choice of a particular location as a World Heritage Site is considered a boon for tourism, with countries frequently seeing increased visitor numbers alongside increased international awareness of the country's natural and cultural assets, according to industry analysts. A frequent spin-off is the allocation or improvement of resources for strengthening management and improving interpretation and visitor facilities at the sites. World Heritage listing also cultivates local and national pride in the property and develops feelings of national responsibility to protect the area. In addition to possible increases in employment opportunities and income, local communities could also expect benefits from improved planning and management of the region, they added.