This week, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) its has incribed Gedo Cultural Landscape and Bale Mountains National Park in to the wolrd heritage list.
Adding the two new sites into the world heritage increased the number of Ethiopia’s heritages registered in UNESCO heritage site into 11. With 11 heritages inscribed as wolrd heritages,
Ethiopia becomes number one in Africa, followed by South Africa with 10 heritages at UNESCO-heritage list.
The Axum Obelisk, Lalibela Monolithic Churches, the Fasil Ghebbi, Harar Jugol, Konso Cultural Landscape, Lower Valley of the Awash, Lower Valley of the Omo, Simien National Park, and Tiya Stelae are the other UNESCO-registered world heritage sites located in Ethiopia.
Gedeo Cultural Landscape
Gedeo Cultural landscape is an area of agroforestry which utilizes multilayer cultivation with large trees sheltering indigenous enset crop. The nature of the area is protected with indegenous traditions thanks to the Gedeo people. It is densly populated but the population is a blessing to protect the area. “More people, More Trees.”
For the Gedeo community, Forests are sacred and used for ritual associations with the Gedeo religion. In Gedeo, people and nature are living harmonously and this natural connection becomes a world heritage this week.
The above picture is the view of Tuto-fela steles found in the Gedeo Cultural Landscape. These monuments found at the mountain ridges are dense clusters of magalithic monuments, which comes to be revered by the Gedeo and cared for by their elders.
Bale Mountains National Park
Bale Mountains National Park is among the protected afro-alpine ecosystems in Ethiopia. Ethiopia takes over 80 percent of Africa’s afro-alpine ecosystem and Bale Mountains takes the lion share of Ethiopia’s afro-alpine ecosystem. This ecosystem is home to many endemic plant and widlife species in Ethiopia. In addition, the ecosystem is the main water source.
The picture shows an areal view of some part of the park with among the endemic animals found with in the park. In addition to the wildlife, The park is home to many endemic widllifes in Ethiopia like Bale shrew, Ethiopian wolf and Mountain nyala.
Rising over 4,000 metres, the Afro-Alpine plateau of the Bale Mountains is the highest mountainous area in southern Ethiopia.The Bale Maountains are a place of beauty, in both nature and community. Ethiopia estabilished Bale Mountains National park in 1970 to protect this magnificient area. Now, it becomes a new world heritage site after UNESCO inscribed it.
Bale is known for its lush forests and high concentration of mammals. It attracts hikers, wildlife watchers, and nature enthusiastsa and it the home of gorges, lakes, streams, waterfalls, volcanic ridges and stunning views.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
The Ethiopian Herald September 24/2023
