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Mozambique’s Maputo National Park and Nesting Sea Turtles Highlighted in World Heritage Nomination Push
29 May 2025
Announced in Paris, France on May 29, 2025. Mozambique’s Maputo National Park [art of the Lubombo TFCA —a vibrant coastal haven for marine life including nesting sea turtles—is among five global sites recommended by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List this year
The recommendation, if accepted at the upcoming 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris this July, would see Maputo National Park officially included as an extension to South Africa’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This would mark a major step for Mozambique in joining the global network of recognised areas of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), while celebrating a transboundary ecosystem critical to marine conservation.
Maputo National Park, located in southern Mozambique, is a biodiversity gem featuring pristine white beaches, colourful coral reefs, expansive seagrass meadows, and estuarine lakes. It is especially notable for hosting *large aggregations of nesting sea turtles*, including globally threatened species such as the loggerhead and leatherback turtles. These shores serve as vital nesting grounds, with hatchlings making their way to the sea under the stars—a timeless symbol of ocean resilience.
The coastal and marine ecosystem is also home to breeding populations of flamingos, a rich array of fish, and migratory birds, making it a crucial habitat in the Western Indian Ocean region.
The IUCN recommendation forms part of a broader push to address imbalances in the World Heritage List and promote natural site nominations from underrepresented regions. Other sites on this year’s shortlist include Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagós Archipelago, Sierra Leone’s Gola-Tiwai Complex, Hin Nam No National Park in Lao PDR, and Mount Kumgang in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau is also being celebrated for its role as one of the most important nesting areas for sea turtles in the eastern Atlantic, further amplifying the critical theme of *marine turtle conservation* in this year’s nominations. The archipelago hosts up to 850,000 migratory birds and supports delicate intertidal habitats that sustain both wildlife and traditional livelihoods.
IUCN’s rigorous evaluation, involving more than 120 experts across the globe, assessed eight World Heritage nominations and reviewed the conservation status of over 70 existing sites. These assessments play a vital role in guiding the decisions of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will meet in Paris from July 6–16, 2025.
“These nominations reflect the global importance of protecting key ecosystems—coastal, marine, forested and mountainous—that provide critical habitat for endangered species like sea turtles and foster sustainable development for local communities,” Badman noted.
If approved, the inscription of Maputo National Park and the Bijagós Archipelago would not only bring Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau their first natural World Heritage recognition, but also shine a global spotlight on Africa’s coastal and marine treasures, where turtles return generation after generation to nest on protected shores.
Photo by IUCN Jean Francois Lafluer
Maputo National Park, located in southern Mozambique, is a biodiversity gem featuring pristine white beaches, colourful coral reefs, expansive seagrass meadows, and estuarine lakes. It is especially notable for hosting *large aggregations of nesting sea turtles*, including globally threatened species such as the loggerhead and leatherback turtles. These shores serve as vital nesting grounds, with hatchlings making their way to the sea under the stars—a timeless symbol of ocean resilience.
The coastal and marine ecosystem is also home to breeding populations of flamingos, a rich array of fish, and migratory birds, making it a crucial habitat in the Western Indian Ocean region.
The IUCN recommendation forms part of a broader push to address imbalances in the World Heritage List and promote natural site nominations from underrepresented regions. Other sites on this year’s shortlist include Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagós Archipelago, Sierra Leone’s Gola-Tiwai Complex, Hin Nam No National Park in Lao PDR, and Mount Kumgang in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau is also being celebrated for its role as one of the most important nesting areas for sea turtles in the eastern Atlantic, further amplifying the critical theme of *marine turtle conservation* in this year’s nominations. The archipelago hosts up to 850,000 migratory birds and supports delicate intertidal habitats that sustain both wildlife and traditional livelihoods.
IUCN’s rigorous evaluation, involving more than 120 experts across the globe, assessed eight World Heritage nominations and reviewed the conservation status of over 70 existing sites. These assessments play a vital role in guiding the decisions of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will meet in Paris from July 6–16, 2025.
“These nominations reflect the global importance of protecting key ecosystems—coastal, marine, forested and mountainous—that provide critical habitat for endangered species like sea turtles and foster sustainable development for local communities,” Badman noted.
If approved, the inscription of Maputo National Park and the Bijagós Archipelago would not only bring Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau their first natural World Heritage recognition, but also shine a global spotlight on Africa’s coastal and marine treasures, where turtles return generation after generation to nest on protected shores.
Photo by IUCN Jean Francois Lafluer
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