Two new natural sites have been added to Unesco’s World Heritage List

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Unesco has announced that two new natural sites have been added to its World Heritage List, bringing the total to 213 natural sites worldwide.

The Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests ecoregion near the southern shores of the Caspian Sea of Iran and Azerbaijan.

The Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests ecoregion has been designated a Unesco World Heritage site. Image: Ali Majdfar/Getty Images

The two new sites are located in China and Iran. There are a total of 1121 Unesco World Heritage sites worldwide, and they are landmarks or areas selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance. They are legally protected by international treaties, and the news of the new additions was given at this year’s session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku.

An aerial view of elks at Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve

Elks at Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve, a part of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China. Image: AFP/Getty Images

The first new natural site is the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China. The area contains the world’s largest continuous mudflat seashore as well as marshes and shoals, which serve as growth areas for many species of fish and crustaceans. There is a high level of biodiversity there, with about 280 species of fish and over 500 species of invertebrates providing food for millions of migratory birds. Large gatherings of birds, including some of the world’s most endangered species, depend on the coastline as a stopover to moult, rest, winter or nest.

An Iranian female hiker walks along a trail in Alimestan Forest, part of the Hyrcanian forests

The trail in Alimestan Forest in Iran, part of the Hyrcanian forests, which were recently added to the Unesco World Heritage List. Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

The Hyrcanian forests in Iran are the second new natural site, and they form a unique forested massif that stretches 850km along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The history of these broad-leaved forests dates back 25 to 50 million years,and their floristic biodiversity is remarkable. To date, 180 species of birds typical of broad-leaved temperate forests and 58 mammal species have been recorded, including the iconic Persian Leopard.

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