This seemed like a popular proposal. I don't see why it would hurt and it gives an opportunity to think about what we may have missed for Africa, in particular after this IUCN Thematic Report, which was published just after the TOP Missing Africa thread wrapped up. Several potential nominations are highlighted in the document and I listed/summarized these sites here. Maybe you had a proposal that was not seconded, but you felt strongly that it was truly an outstanding candidate? Some users also mentioned complex transnational nominations, it may have been difficult to decide which region to make such a proposal, well here is your chance. Assif mentioned that Australia, India, and China were never analyzed to the same degree that the US, Canada, and Russia were, I agree. It would be nice to see 1-2 strong additional nominations from each of these countries. I felt one week was too long considering how much time we already allotted for each region and our total number of approved proposals is also significant in number.

Addendum Rules

Duration: 3 FULL days (Closed Friday Morning June 5th)
Limit on Proposals per user: 1 Natural, 1 Cultural (max)
*Normal "Seconding" policy

This would also be an excellent time for users to browse through the TOP Missing List and start filling in information that may be incomplete or lacking completely.

I would like to extend an existing nomination and propose one of my own, all of which in the Pacific.

My cultural nomination is about the indigenous cultures of Papua. Papua is known as one of the last refuge of hunter-gatherer societies. It is extremely diverse, both culturally and linguistically. So far there has been no cultural nomination for Papua representing their living cultures.

Site: Boven Digeol Regency - Land of the Korowai and Kombai
Country: Indonesia
TWHS: no
Description: The area is covered by lush sago forests and is extremely isolated. It is inhabited by several tribes, the most famous of which are the Korowai and Kombai. Both are known for the controversial claims of cannibalism and their tree houses.
http://factsanddetails.com/indonesia/Minorities_and_Regions/sub6_3j/entry-4039.html
Criteria: cultural

So far we have Alaka'i Swamp to represent Polynesian rainforests. It is the largest reserve, but by far not the largest and most significant patch of rainforest. Therefore, my natural nomination:

Site: Central Savaii Rainforest
Country: Samoa
TWHS: no
Description: Central Savaii Rainforest is the largest continuous patch of rainforest in tropical Polynesia, approximately 730km2, and contains more than 100 volcanic craters, and areas of recent lava flow. This huge block of rainforest contains most of Samoa's endemic species (30% endemism, extremely rich in biodiversity) including many that are highly threatened, such as the Mata Papae (Savaii White-Eye), the Manumea and the Maomao. There is hope that the Punae (Samoa Moorhen), last seen in 1908, may still be found in unexplored parts of this forest. It is among the wettest ecoregion in the world. It is partly protected in Mauga Salafai, Lata and Asau-Falelima National Parks.
https://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/samoa/191.pdf
Criteria: natural

Seconding Fitzgerald River National Park (Jurre) and extending:

Site: Kwongan
Country: Australia
TWHS: no
Description: Due to its poor soil the Kowngan displays one of the richest floras worldwide. It is home to 8000 higher plants, most of which endemic. The planned nomination will encompass 20% of the ecoregion, including Fitzgerald River NP proposed by Jurre.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/10/western-australian-scientists-push-for-world-heritage-status-for-area-size-of-england
Criteria: natural

[Another lengthy but hopefully comprehensive proposal.]

While researching about the Manila-Galleon Trade, I stumbled upon this potential angle for OUV of the former TWHS Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines. With added components and direct link to slave raiding history in SEA, this fills a gap and worth consideration for top missing.

Site: Spanish Colonial and Community Coastal Defense Structures of the Philippines
Category: Cultural
Country: Philippines
OUV Criteria:
ii These structures shows the arrival of European fortification techniques to the Philippines and the subsequent adaptation to local setting and use of local materials

vi These structures are direct testimony of the 17th-18th century global-regional influence of the Iranun and the slave-raiding history in Southeast Asia

Description:

The 17th-18th century was a time of global instability in Asia with rival European powers taking their stake across the region with China and South-east Asian sultanates becoming key markets and trade partners. The Dutch was solidifying their position with Dutch East Indies. The British competed with the Dutch for control of South East Asia. Spain had a lucrative trade with China via the Manila-Acapulco Galleons. All three European powers battled for supremacy. But amidst all this global-regional struggle, one group emerged as a key player - the Iranuns. Based on the Sulu Archipelago, the Iranuns capitalized on the lucrative trade with global powers and supplied the slave needed to fuel the demand of precious goods (spices, tea, etc). The Iranuns were highly skilled raiders and slavers with reach across South China Sea and going to as far as Papua New Guinea and Bay of Bengal. The Christianized Philippines with its with numerous under-protected settlement across the archipelago, became an easy target.

Over the course of this period, diverse structures including watchtowers, church-fortresses, forts and fortifications were built along coasts of the Philippine archipelago in order to protect settlements from pillaging and raids. This proposal covers a series of defense structures that show the evolution and response, both centralized and locally organized efforts, to defend the different communities. Major forts were built on areas of high commercial significance (eg. Cebu, Palawan) while church-fortresses were erected on key towns. But for most of the archipelago, with limited resources and support from central government, local parishes and the community were left to build watchtowers in order to signal, organize and prepare the town folks to fight the raiders. Near the end of the Spanish colonial rule, forts were also built In Mindanao and Sulu to neutralize the threat.

Components
The series include both ruins and surviving structures that were built specifically as a response for the Iranun threat.
· Church-Fortress: a selection amongst the many surviving churches across the archipelago, including WHS inscribed Miagao Church (Baroque Churches) or ruins (e.g. Capul)
· Forts: a selection of preserved and restored forts (e.g. Cebu, Taytay, Zamboanga) or fort ruins (eg. Pikit)
· Fortifications and watchtowers: selection of preserved/restored structures (e.g. watchtowers of Bohol) or ruins (e.g. Ilocos, Leyte-Samar, Cebu, Bicol) esp if can be identified as destroyed during a raid
· Settlements and Others: ruins of settlements or other military structures esp. if can be identified as abandoned after a raid.

(I have compiled a list of components that can be considered on this serial proposal. This is based from the blog focusing on the Spanish Fortifications book by R. Javellana as well as my research on Leyte-Samar area)

Further Reading
1. Fortress of the Empire in the Philippines by R. Javellana
2. Iranun and the Balangingi: Globalization, Maritime Raiding and the Birth of Ethnicity by James Warren
3. Moro Piracy During the Spanish Period by D. Non
4. The Sulu Zone, 1768-1898: The Dynamics of External Trade, Slavery and ... by James Warren
5. Defenses of Bicol Towns by Francisco Mallari
6. Inside Leyte Blog
7. Simbahan.net Blog

I will second this natural site, Samoa should have 1-2 sites and this rainforest has significant value on an international level (not just as a "gift' nomination as their first). Thanks for sharing the pdf file.

I second this serial site nomination.

I would, in my turn, second this extension.

I am out of nominations but would welcome natural proposals from Africa. Anyone?

I think we should discuss those proposed in the document cited above. Are any proposals in region/ecoregions we have not yet covered with our proposals for Africa?

I would like to suggest an extension to a site proposed by Assif, which has already been seconded (Lore Lindu National Park.)

Site: The Wallace Line: Lore Lindu and Kutai National Parks.
Country: Indonesia
TWHS: Partial (LLNP a former T site)
Category : Natural
Description: In 1859, noted naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace theorized that even when sea levels were much lower, during glacial periods, a deep-water channel divided large portions of the Malay Archipelago, preventing facile movement of species and creating distinct floral and faunal regions. He observed that most Asiatic species resided west of this line and that Australian species existed only on islands to the east. This idea was integral to Wallace's body of work that gave him status as co-discoverer (with Darwin) of evolution by natural selection, and today this virtual line bears his name.

The two protected areas, Kutai NP (Borneo) and LLNP (Sulawesi) lie on opposite sides of the Wallace Line at roughly the same latitude and, in addition to being important and endangered sites individually, together present a dramatic way to observe Wallace's theory in reality. For example, Kutai NP is the easternmost extent of the range of Apes, such as Orangutans and Gibbons, while LLNP is the westernmost edge of the territory inhabited by Marsupials.

Future extensions could include Bali Barat NP (Bali) and Gunung Rinjani NP (Lombok,) or areas on the Sanghie Islands (Indonesia) and Southern Mindanao (Philippines.)

To start a possible discussion, these possible sites form the document cited above seem interesting to me. Do any of these seem worthy of a proposal?

- Bale Mountains National Park (Ethiopia)
- Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape (South Sudan)
- Dinosaur Fossil Beds of Niger / Gisements des dinosauriens (Niger)
- Conkouati-Douli National Park (Republic of the Congo)
- Lake Tanganyika (Burundi)
- Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream National Parks (Tanzania)
- Nyungwe National Park (Rwanda)
- Itombwe Mountains (DRC)
- NOSYnaka (Madagascar)
- Korup National Park (Cameroon) + Cross River National Park (Nigeria)
- Kakum National Park (Ghana)
- Western Area Peninsula National Park (Sierra Leone)
- Ankasa Conservation Area (Ghana)

Out of those cited in my post, I'd like to propose one that seems very important to me:

Full Name of Site: NOSYnakà
Country: Madagascar
TWHS? Yes
Short description of site: NOSYnakà consists of 7 protected marine areas. They are a mosaic of rich ecosystems: coral reefs, croal banks, mangroves, underwater grasslands and karstic, volcanic and coral islands. The north of Madagascar houses a unique mix of marine habitats due to their physical and oceanographical characteristics, varying from east to west. The site covers the continental plateau, encompassing numeroud types of bays and islands. In the east, we find deep and narrow bays with canyons. In the west, there is a large and undeep coastal band with a fossil reef at its end. On the two ends, the bays are home to mixed habitats of coral reefs, mangroves and underwater grasslands. The complex island systems are situated on the west coast, with Nosy Hara, Nosy Tanikely and Nosy Mitsio/AMP Ankarea having different origins, including volcanic, karstic and sedimentary. NOSYnakà offers an important marine biodiversity in terms of species. Sahamalaza, with its coral reefs and mangroves, is a Ramsar site and a Biosphere Reserve. It is an important habitat for coral species and multiple endangered bird species. Its underwater grasslands are reproduction and feeding grounds for herbivores.
Criteria: Natural

Resources: NOSYnakà (Unesco)

This certainly seems an interesting angle. I was mostly focusing on the missing ecoregion. Yet this type of nomination would also allow its preservation and representation. I will second the extension.
In order to represent Sulawesi better I would further propose to include Bogani Nani Wartabone NP, which is regarded by WWF as the most important park for wildlife conservation on Sulawesi.

I am unfamiliar with most of these sites and currently don't have much time to deepen my knowledge or write proposals, but you can consider this one as seconded if anyone want to write the proposal.

EDIT: Post deleted - Hit the Enter button by mistake

So far, unless I am mistaken we have 5 approved proposals.

Kwongan: Fitzgerald River National Park (Australia)
Lake Tanganyika (Burundi)
The Wallace Line: Lore Lindu and Kutai National Parks (Indonesia)
Spanish Colonial and Community Coastal Defense Structures (Philippines)
Central Savaii Rainforest (Samoa)


I would argue for this tentative nomination based on this excerpt from the UNESCO description. I originally proposed this at the very beginning of the Top Missing - Africa thread.

"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."