Navigating Natural Wonders of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

For us city dwellers, even the sound of a cuckoo might seem exotic. So now imagine discovering a vastness filled with shifting dunes and interlaced emerald lagoons.

- Triya Ghosh

Or exploring one of the largest caves in the world, with biodiversity that promises to be a microcosm in itself. Such were some of the stunning additions in the 46th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee, held for the first time in India in July.

For the sites, earning the UNESCO recognition is much more than a tag, it is a near-guarantee of protection against being ravaged by human greed or exploitation which is evident all around the world.

Among the 24 newly inscribed properties are 20 cultural properties, four natural properties and one mixed site. The newly included natural sites join the 271 sites already inscribed for their natural values as areas of stunning natural beauty, which not only harbour unique ecosystems, biodiversity and rare species but also reflect a collective commitment to safeguarding the planet’s most precious places for future generations.

Here is a quick look at the latest members of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil

Imagine undulating expanses of white coastal dunes interlaced with jade lagoons all around. This is Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, the latest addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Brazil. This aesthetic treat is set amidst Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil, in what falls under a transition zone between the three Brazilian biomes of Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazon.

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park becomes the 24th addition to the list of UNESCO sites in biodiversity-rich Brazil. Along its 80 km coastline are beaches lined by plains, where winds shape the dunes into long chains of barchans.