Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve
Niger · Africa
About
The Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve (French: Réserves naturelles de l'Aïr et du Ténéré) is a national nature reserve in Niger. It includes several overlapping reserve designations, and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers both the eastern half of the Aïr Mountains and the western sections of the Ténéré desert.
It has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area. The mountains are an important spot for afrotropical and palaearctic migratory birds.
The Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves UNESCO World Heritage Site was established in 1991, and designated as a site in danger in 1992. It was designated under criteria vii, ix, x, and is designated #573. The entire reserve covers 77,360 square kilometres (29,870 sq mi), which made it the second largest nature reserve in Africa, and the fourth largest in the world.
UNESCO's Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves include two parts:
In 2023, UNESCO reported that the reserve was under threat due to civil unrest and mining. Though illegal activities continue to threaten the reserve, local involvement has helped control gold panning.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.