Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information.

Sovi Basin

Date of Submission: 26/10/1999
Criteria: (iii)(iv)(v)
Category: Cultural
Submitted by:
Department of Environment
Coordinates: Naitasiri Province - South Central Sector of Fiji's main island of Viti Levu
Ref.: 1374
Disclaimer

The Tentative Lists of States Parties are published by the World Heritage Centre at its website and/or in working documents in order to ensure transparency, access to information and to facilitate harmonization of Tentative Lists at regional and thematic levels.

The sole responsibility for the content of each Tentative List lies with the State Party concerned. The publication of the Tentative Lists does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever of the World Heritage Committee or of the World Heritage Centre or of the Secretariat of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its boundaries.

Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party

Description

The Sovi Basin, Waimaro, is Fiji's most important land ecosystem in terms of its biological and landscape heritage. The 19600 hectare Basin is sited in the Naitasiri Province. Sovi Basin has a number of special natural features. The distinctive bowl shape of the Basin with its encircling volcanic peaks create a landform unique in both Fiji and in the island Pacific. Its floor is composed of hard granite rock which has slowly eroded over time to form low rolling hills, drained by crystal clear rivers and streams. The entire landform is covered with undisturbed tropical lowland forest. The Sovi Basin is the largest, most diverse and most scenically outstanding of Fiji's natural forest. If it were to be protected it would be the "jewel in the crown" of Fiji's protected areas system, functioning as the main storehouse of Fiji's land-based biodiversity. The spectacular natural and cultural features of the Sovi Basin together build a strong imperative for ecoturism development. International promotion of the wilderness and cultural features of the Sovi Basin would form the lynch pin of a new heritage focus to Fiji's tourism industry.

top