With support from the #SOSAfricanHeritage Fund of the German National Commission for UNESCO, seven World Heritage sites in five East African countries have received funding to help overcome the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on management and conservation.
Simien Mountains National Park
The heritages receiving funding include:
- Simien Mountains National Park in Ethiopia
- The sacred Kaya forest of the Mijikenda people in Kenya
- Mount Kenya National Park/National Forest in Kenya
- Tsingy de Bemaraha Nature Reserve in Madagascar
- Bélo sur Mer Kirindy-Mite Biosphere Reserve in Madagascar
- Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve in Seychelles
- Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania
Tsingy de Bemaraha Nature Reserve
The #SOSAfricanHeritage Foundation has previously invited UNESCO World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Africa to submit proposals for financial support to repair damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The German National Commission for UNESCO has received 72 applications for €1.6 million and has been able to fund 22 projects totaling over €500,000 to support the resilience of heritage sites from the COVID-19 pandemic in the African region.
Kilimanjaro National Park
Bélo sur Mer Kirindy-Mite Biosphere Reserve
Short-term financial and technical support from the #SOSAfricanHeritage Fund aims to help maintain independent and sustainable institutional structures at these UNESCO-designated sites with the participation of civil society organizations. Projects are also encouraged to ensure dedicated spaces for global citizenship education, ensuring sustainability and cultural diversity.
Mount Kenya National Park
“I would like to sincerely thank the German National Commission for UNESCO for its timely and generous support to the African region. With this targeted financial support, we are confident that local beneficiaries will be empowered to strengthen the engagement of local stakeholders and enhance the resilience of World Heritage sites during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa.
