Upper Nile FloodPlains - South Sudan

Considered to have potential as a future World Heritage Site

Location and Area: As many as three separate sites may warrant inscription on the world heritage, including BomaNational Park, BandingiloNational Park and parts of the Sudd wetlands (see map)

Inscription Status:  Included on South Sudan’s draft Tentative List (2015)

Important Values:  The ecological importance of the Upper Nile floodplains and swamps has long been recognised, but formal conservation programmes have been impossible during the many years of internal conflict that has plagued this region of Africa. Recently, the restoration of peace and birth of the new nation of South Sudan, has allowed confirmation of the continued existence of large mammal migrations rivalling those of Serengeti and sparked renewed interest in ensuring conservation of these outstanding natural phenomena and the attributes of the Upper Nile on which they depend.  BomaNational Park (which is nearly twice the size of Serengeti NP) protects much of the area involved in the mass migration of white-eared kob, while BandingiloNational Park serves as a seasonal sanctuary for vaste herds of Tiang that move to its north.  Meanwhile the Sudd swamps (much of which are protected within the Zeraf Game Reserve) cover an area twice the size of the Okavango Delta, supporting (amongst other iconic species) most of the world’s shoebill storks.

Slideshow of the Sudd Wetlands and  Upper Nile Floodplains:

Comparison with other sites: 

Possible constraints to world heritage listing: World heritage status could help support conservation efforts in these globally important areas but the economic development challenges facing this new nation are immense and the prospects of oil and re-instatement of the JongleiCanal project to drain the swamps are very real threats.

Links:  Google Earth | UNEP-WCMC Site Description |Official UNESCO Site Details | WWF Project News | Birdlife IBA