Africa is the world’s second-largest continent, covering about a fifth of the planet’s land area, and home to a wide variety of environments from coral reefs to rainforests. Nearly a quarter of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots can be found in the Africa region of UNESCO.

Not surprisingly, this region is also home to 32 (21%) of the 150 sites included on the World Heritage List for their biodiversity values. However, since 2000 only four new biodiversity sites from this region were inscribed on the World Heritage List, compared to 33 elsewhere on the planet.

IUCN and UNEP-WCMC, in conjunction with the African World Heritage Fund and with support from the MAVA Foundation, therefore considered it timely to summarise information on a number of exceptional natural places in Africa that could be priorities to consider for nomination to the World Heritage List under biodiversity criteria. We hope that this exercise will assist all those considering or developing natural World Heritage nominations in Africa.