Disko Bay nominated as heritage site

The World Conservation Union has nominated Ilulissat fiord in Greenland’s Disco Bay to UNESCO’s list of international natural and cultural heritage sites.

A final decision will be made next month at UNESCO’s annual conference in China, where a delegation from Denmark, the Greenlandic Home Rule Government, and Ilulissat Council are expected to take part.

“Nothing has been decided yet, but Ilulissat Fiord has won considerable praise in a field of many applicants. We’re hopeful that the fiord will make it on to the list. If it does, it will be the first time in history that a natural area in the Danish Commonwealth is added to the United Nations’ world heritage list,” said Marianne Jensen, acting director of the Greenland’s Environmental Directorate, in an interview with Ritzau news.

The UNESCO nomination campaign for the fiord began in the late 1990s. A total of 26 nature areas around the world have been nominated for UNESCO’s list this year.