Hin Namno National Park

Hin Namno National Park
Map showing the location of Hin Namno National Park
Map showing the location of Hin Namno National Park
Location of the national park in Laos
LocationKhammouane Province
Coordinates17°23′38″N 105°53′13″E / 17.394000°N 105.886906°E / 17.394000; 105.886906
Area941.21 km2 (363.40 sq mi)
DesignationNational Park
DesignatedJanuary 2020
Governing bodyMinistry of Agriculture and Forestry

Hin Namno National Park (or Hin Nam No, Lao: ຫີນໜາມໜໍ່) is in Boualapha District, Khammouane Province, Laos. The park borders Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park of Vietnam to the east and Nakai-Nam Theun National Park of Laos to the north. Hin Namno National Park was created by prime ministerial decree in January 2020. It is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).[2]

Hin Namno's distinctive feature is its karst formations. If this park and Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng to be combined into one contiguous park, it would be one of the largest protected karst regions in the world.[citation needed]

As Hin Namno lies between the Khammuan limestone belt and the Annamite Range, there are many caves and limestone escarpments including the Xe Bang Fai River Cave. It is believed to be one of the largest river caves in the world, with passages some 120 meters tall and 200 meters wide, and a subterranean channel seven kilometres long.[3][4]

In early-2021, Hin Namno was nominated for inclusion on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. The IUCN Green List is a global standard for protected area management performance. It is seen as a precursor to a UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination.[2][5]

  1. ^ [UNEP-WCMC (2023). [1] from the World Database on Protected Areas. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Hin Nam No national park to join IUCN green list". Vientiane Times. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  3. ^ Patowary, Kaushik (8 July 2015). "Tham Khoun Xe Cave". Amusing Planet. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Hin Namno National Protected Area Co-Management Plan" (PDF). Department of Forestry, Division of Forest Resources Conservation and With Technical Assistance from IUCN Lao PDR. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  5. ^ Boulom, Souksamai (21 August 2020). "Hin Nam No to gain World Heritage status by 2022". Vientiane Times. Retrieved 2 February 2021.