Perhaps one of the most exciting prospects for Mountainlands Nature Reserve is the pending United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site (WHS) status for the Makhonjwa Mountains. The mountains have been tentatively listed, a formality that is a prerequisite to full heritage status. It will also be Mpumalanga Province’s first WHS.
The Makhonjwa Mountains comprise the oldest and best-preserved sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks on earth dating back more than 3.6 billion years.
Mountainlands is located in this ancient Archaean geological formation and is one of four nature reserves that form the core of the WHS.
World heritage sites recognize and protect areas of outstanding natural, historical and cultural value around the world. Therefore, the benefits for the area and nature reserve will be an elevated international status as well as additional protection.
“This is good news for the whole area. The WHS will not only assist in conserving this unique area but it is also the platform from which the economic development of the subregion is being launched. The future of the region now lies in tourism and conservation led development. On Mountainlands it will entrench the high standards that are part of the philosophy already and it will significantly elevate and secure the reserve for future generations,” Nico Oosthuizen, developer of the Mountainlands Estate said.
Nico has been involved in the WHS initiative from the very beginning. He also serves on the WHS project steering committee as representative of Barberton Tourism, who also played a large role in initiating the WHS nomination.
A project steering committee made up of various local and provincial institutions is driving the process of full WHS proclamation for the area. They are being assisted by a team of professionals who have been appointed on an 18 month contract to complete the research and compile the nomination dossier to UNESCO. This will culminate in full world heritage site status.
A range of tourism and conservation-based projects coupled to the WHS have already been initiated for the sub region. More news on some of these later.
Visit the WHS project website at www.bmmlworldheritage.org for more information and to become involved in the project.
