Saloum Delta National Park

Saloum Delta National Park
UNESCO World Heritage Site
LocationSenegal
Part ofSaloum Delta
CriteriaCultural: (iii)(iv)(v)
Reference1359
Inscription2011 (35th Session)
Coordinates13°42′N 16°38′W / 13.700°N 16.633°W / 13.700; -16.633
Official nameParc national du Delta du Saloum
Designated3 April 1984; 40 years ago (1984-04-03)
Reference no.288[1]
Saloum Delta National Park is located in Senegal
Saloum Delta National Park
Location of Saloum Delta National Park in Senegal

Saloum Delta National Park or Parc National du Delta du Saloum in Senegal, is a 760-square-kilometre (190,000-acre) national park. Established in 1976, it is situated within the Saloum Delta at the juncture of the Saloum River and the North Atlantic.

The park, which forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Ramsar Convention site, lies within a 1,800 km2 (440,000-acre) biosphere reserve. Water comprises 610 km2 (150,000 acres) of the park, intertidal mangroves and saltwater vegetation cover 70 km2 (17,000 acres), and savannah and forest cover 80 km2 (20,000 acres). It lies on the East Atlantic Flyway. The bird species that breed or winter in the area include royal tern, greater flamingo, Eurasian spoonbill, curlew sandpiper, ruddy turnstone, and little stint.

This region represents an important synergy between nature with extensive biodiversity and the way of human development, which is still present, albeit fragile. Sustainable shellfish farming is highly developed here and is a very important source of food and export revenue for the local community and Senegal in general.[2]

The Saloum Delta is about 100 km (62 mi) south of the Senegalese capital, Dakar.[3]

  1. ^ "Parc national du Delta du Saloum". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Saloum Delta". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  3. ^ "Saloum Delta (Senegal) | African World Heritage Sites". www.africanworldheritagesites.org. Retrieved 2021-02-01.