Let's get started! Here were the original Rules Top 50 Missing. Post in that forum if you want to propose rule changes. These may have to updated, but generally a similar format will ensue. I think this line is particularly relevant " If you want more clarification on a proposal or have something to add: do so on the same topic as the original was proposed." This would include if you agree or "second" the proposal, perhaps with a brief explanation why.

In the past, there have been some informative discussions in our forum in regards to African Continent World Heritage

Here are my 5 proposals for Top Missing Africa. Do not feel obligated or restricted to follow my format exactly. As stated by meltwaterfalls,"I liked the little pitches that were written up last time, with clear details and claims to OUV." This information really helps our community learn about new sites, a name alone does not add much, particularly for us who are unfamiliar with the country or region as a whole.

Full name of site: Benguela Current Marine Ecosystem Sites
Country: Namibia
Short description of site: The Benguela Marine ecosystem is one of the most productive coastal upwelling zones in the global oceans, of which an area offshore southern Namibia is known as the most concentrated and intense upwelling regime in the world. The high levels of primary productivity of this ecosystem support an important global reservoir of biodiversity and biomass of zooplankton, fish, sea birds and marine mammals.
Criteria: Mixed
Outstanding universal value / comparative analysis: Canary Current (offshore Northwest Africa), the California Current (offshore California and Oregon) and the Humboldt Current (offshore Peru and Chile).

Full name of site: Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape (Contiguous site)
Country: South Sudan
Short description of site: The landscape falls across the "Sudd-Sahelian Flooded Grasslands and Savannahs" and "East Sudanian Savannahs" WWF Global 200 eco-regions. Its defining characteristic is the annual white-eared kob migration, a natural spectacle of approximately 1 million animals moving in mega-herds, consisting of thousands of individuals, between Boma and Badingilo National Parks. This is the second largest animal migration in the world.
Criteria: Natural
Outstanding universal value / comparative analysis: Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

Full name of site: Sudd Wetland
Country: South Sudan
Short description of site: One of the largest freshwater ecosystems in the world. The Sudd wetland falls within the "Sudd-Sahelian Flooded Grasslands and Savannas" WWF Global 200 eco-region. It is internationally recognised for its unique ecological attributes that include various endangered mammalian species, antelope migrations, millions of Palaearctic migratory birds and large fish populations.
Criteria: Mixed
Outstanding universal value / comparative analysis: Okavango Delta in Botswana and the Pantanal Conservation Area in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay

Full name of site: Zakouma National Park
Country: Chad
Short description of site: Created in 1963, Zakouma National Park is today one of the last wildlife sanctuaries in Sahelian Africa, which still shelters decent numbers of large mammals.The NGO African Parks and its partners in South Africa and Chad reintroduced six black rhinos to Zakouma National Park on May 4, 2018. It wins a very good vegetation, an important hydrographic network, a dense and diversified fauna including forty four (44) species of large mammals and two hundred fifty (250) species of birds and eighty four (84) woody species.
Criteria: Natural
Outstanding universal value / comparative analysis: Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania

Full name of site: Laas Geel
Country: Somalia
Short description of site: Laas Geel contains some of the earliest known cave paintings in the Horn of Africa and is estimated to date to somewhere between 9,000 and 3,000 years 10,000BC. The Laas Geel cave paintings are thought to be some of the most vivid rock art in Africa. Among other things, they depict cattle in ceremonial robes accompanied by humans, who are believed to have been inhabitants of the region.
Criteria: Cultural
Outstanding universal value / comparative analysis: Chongoni Rock-Art Area in Malawi and Kondoa Rock-Art Sites in Tanzania

Feel free to add your own and let the discussions begin! There was not clear consensus on our approach yet, "Equal Number per Region and Mechanism for C/N Balance or the proportional # of sites per region proposed by Assif. However, I started with Africa and both proposals identified a limit of 5 selections for Africa. We can continue that discussion in the Top 50 Missing - 2019 forum.

I'd like to second this one. 3 special reasons:
1. It has been subject to a major succesful conservation effort by African Parks (an NGO) since 2010. In the years before that, poaching was rampant and 95% of its elephant population for example was slaughtered for ivory. See https://www.africanparks.org/the-parks/zakouma for its recent history.
2. It is a flourishing national park in the Sahel region and as such gives insight in what the Sahel once looked like
3. It is now the 'hottest' destination for mammalwatchers (well, maybe combined with Dzanga Sangha and Gabon).

Same kind of site, I like also "Parc national d'Ivindo": beautiful waterfalls in the middle of lush vegetation, clearings with gorillas ("Langoué Baï") and forest elephants.

It is an interesting suggestion, though similar to Sangha Trinational. In the comparative analysis of the latter it was stated:
" Ivindo portent des influences hydrographiques beaucoup plus localisées par rapport au TNS avec pour conséquence, entre autres, une présence moins importante des bais. Il est à noter qu'un projet d'hydro-électricité risque de s'installer en amont sur la rivière Ivindo. Et si ce projet est réalisé, il y a une forte possibilité d'impacts négatifs sur la rivière et ses interactions écologiques avec d'autres habitats. "
So - a less good example of the 'bai' (natural clearings in the forest) and threatend by a hydropower project. Its state of conservation may be worrisome as well.

Staying on the subject of mammals, I'd like to add:
Gola National Parks
Country: Sierra Leone
TWHS?: Yes, https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5747/
Short description of site: The most important mammals of conservation value and significance are pygmy hippopotamus, African forest elephant, zebra duiker chimpanzee, Diana monkey and western red colobus. All but the African elephant and chimpanzee are endemic to the Upper Guinea forests making Gola Forest exceptionally important for their conservation
Criteria: Natural

It would also give a WHS to a country that hasn't got one yet.
The site represents the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast (all low on WHS density).

Africa is the Unesco region, not the actual continent? So no Arab African states? Interestingly, in our previous round we only had Egyptian sites, so maybe good idea to have this discussion.

Maybe we should break it down per country? Countries with very few sites:

Zambia - 1

Cultural
Mwela Rock Paintings
Nsalu Cave, Near Mpika, Zambia

Mixed
Kalambo_Falls

Natural (all national parks)
Blue Lagoon National Park
Isangano National Park
Kafue National Park
Kasanga National Park => JonathanFr: Largest Mammal Migration
Lavushi Manda National Park
Liuwa plains National Park
Lochinvar National Park
Lower Zambezi National Park
Luambe National Park
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
Nsumbu National Park
North Luangwa National Park
Nyika National Park
Sioma Ngwezi National Park
South Luangwa National Park => Els endorsed :D
West Lunga National Park

You're almost sounding like Trump and his 'Nambia'!

Mozambique - 1

C
Casa do Ferro -> Buildings of Gustave Eiffel (Serial)

N
Bazaruto Archipelago
Gorongosa National Park
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park - Transnational South Africa, Zimbabwe => Should be voted on.

Somalia - 0
Googled a little. Not sure what would deserve WHS status here (if they were ever to become a normal country).

So what's your proposal for Zambia?

Zambia does have a number of classical safari destinations (with South Luangwa usually considered the outstanding one), but do we need more of those?

All I am trying is to reverse engineer potential sites by looking at countries with low counts and coming up with 2-3 potential sites. National Parks would be a common approach.


i object less to these than yet another vineyard. And Africa is large enough that to cover the whole fauna/flora/climate sections you can add many more NPs.

Dallol (Ethiopia), sometimes defined as the only place on Earth where life does not exist. A geological wonder difficult to access.
Sometimes combined with Erta Ale, one of the few lava lakes.

https://www.google.fr/search?q=Dallol&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjUq-SUxrPoAhUW_IUKHdbTDdkQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=Dallol&gs_l=img.3..0i67j0l2j0i67j0l4.4345.4345..5644...0.0..0.131.131.0j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.4CaF71FEyz4&ei=lDd6XtSRLJb4lwTWp7fIDQ&bih=635&biw=1366

"To avoid the disappearance of this site, which has no equal on the planet, Grunewald and the research team under López-García are seeking to persuade the Ethiopian government to have it listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.":

https://news.cnrs.fr/articles/finding-life-in-an-inferno

I agree, but Zambia lies in the same zone as Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Mana Pools WHS is a similar site to South Luangwa. Both are also known for their walking safaris.
In the comparative analysis of Mana Pools (dated 1984) it was stated about (North and) South Luangwa: "These parks protect a much less affected and longer riverine strip and harbour a significantly larger number of black rhino (1984 estimate: 3001). Management standards at the moment, however, are on a much firmer footing in Mana Pools". Have not been able to find a comparison of the current situation. I'd be happy to endorse South Luangwa anyway.

I support Kasanka National Park which is home to the largest mammal migration on Earth! (Bats)

@els @jonathan: that was the point. go bottom up country by country to figure out if there is sth we are overlooking.

e.g. for namibia i think we can come up with many sites, too.

Good find!
"Close to ten million Eidolon helvum (African straw-coloured fruit bat) migrate to the Mushitu swamp evergreen forest in the park for three months during October to December, making it the largest mammal migration in the world."