East Rennell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Canoe on Lake Tegano, East Rennell | |
| Location | Rennell Island, Solomon Islands |
| Criteria | Natural: ix |
| Reference | 854 |
| Inscription | 1998 (22nd Session) |
| Endangered | 2013– |
| Area | 37,000 hectares (91,000 acres) |
| Coordinates | 11°41′S 160°20′E / 11.683°S 160.333°E |
  Location of East Rennell in Solomon Islands | |
East Rennell is the southern portion of Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands which is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rennell is the largest raised coral atoll in the world and the area in East Rennell surrounding Lake Tegano contains many endemic species.
In 2013, the World Heritage Committee added East Rennell to the List of World Heritage in Danger because of the threat of logging activities to the site's outstanding universal value.[1]
Rennell is situated in the Western Pacific and is the southernmost of the Solomon Islands, being some 86 by 15 km (53 by 9 mi). It is the largest uplifted coral atoll in the world, occupying 37,000 hectares (91,000 acres). It is mostly clad in dense forest and in the centre of the south end of the island is Lake Tegano (also known as Te Nggano), which was at one time the atoll's lagoon; the surface of the lake is at sea level and the water is brackish. It is surrounded by cliffs and contains a number of small limestone islands. East Rennell, designated as a World Heritage Site in 1998, is at the southern end of the island; the site includes Lake Tegano, the land surrounding it, and the marine areas stretching for three nautical miles from the island. The site is unspoiled, prone to damage by cyclones, and is "considered to be a true natural laboratory for scientific study."[2][3]
History
The island has about 800 inhabitants living in four villages around Lake Tegano. They are subsistence farmers and fishermen, relying on the forests and waters to provide them with all their basic needs. A management plan for the site was completed in 2007 in conjunction with the islanders which recognises their rights to continue their traditional cultural practices and way of life. These are thought not to be detrimental to the site, the IUCN stating that "customary ownership can be more conducive to conservation than if the land was under the control of a distant government office".[4]
