Rainforests in Madagascar likely to be world inheritance

Rainforests in the east of Madagascar were likely to be listed as one of the world inheritances, a local daily reported on Monday.

Nomination of the forests in the Indian Ocean island had followed all the process and would be presented at the meeting of the World Inheritance Committee in New Zealand later this year, said Le Quotidien, or News Daily in English.

The Center of the World Inheritance, in its project "To promote the World Inheritance in Madagascar", has expressed its support to Madagascan government for preparation of the nomination.

In January 2005, Antananarivo had proposed a list of three sets of protected surfaces, including the rainforests of the east, dry forests of the west and southwest and marine and coastal protected areas to be nominated as part of the World Inheritances.

These sites were identified at an international workshop in Mantasoa, a town about 70 km east of Antananarivo in November 2003, the news daily said.

In January 2006, the file of nomination was officially delivered to the World Inheritance Center of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The UNESCO project of promoting the World Inheritance in Madagascar had received strong supports from many countries and well-known international organizations, the paper added.

National and international experts said that the forests in Madagascar were most likely to be listed as the world inheritances later this year, with possibilities of extension in the future.