Brief Description
The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China is a serial extension of the property of the same name already inscribed on the World Heritage List. As part of the world’s largest ...
Outstanding Universal Value - Brief Synthesis
The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, inscribed through Phase I (2019) and Phase II (2024) of a phased nomination process, are situated in the largest intertidal wetland system in the world and one of the most biologically diverse. The property is located in the Yellow Sea Ecoregion, and supports crucial habitats for birds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, its wetlands serving a unique ecological function as indispensable stopover and staging sites during northward/southward migration. The Yellow Sea and the Gulf of Bohai are a bottleneck for many millions of migratory waterbirds – more than 10% of the total migration along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The property is thus an irreplaceable and indispensable hub for birds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, which spans not only China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, within the Yellow Sea, but also some 22 countries across two hemispheres from the Arctic to South-East Asia and Australasia. The global importance of the wider coastal area is evidenced by several Ramsar sites, some of which fully or partially overlap with component parts of the property. Thus, this property is a globally significant example of the shared natural heritage embodied in migratory birds.
The twelve component parts of the property are located along the Yellow Sea coast of China, including the Bohai Gulf, with a total area of 289,710.94 ha, and a buffer zone of 117,502.10 ha. In light of the fact that human activity has transformed many of the region’s tidal wetlands, there is a need for effective measures to halt major threats and restore key migratory bird habitats, and for further national and transnational serial nominations, and/or extensions to strengthen the integrity of the property.