Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes
Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes
Located in the Alashan Plateau in the hyper-arid and temperate desert region of northwestern China, the Badain Jaran Desert is a meeting point for three sandy regions of China and is the country’s third largest desert and second largest drifting desert. The property stands out with its high density of mega-dunes, intersected with inter-dunal lakes. It displays spectacular ongoing geological and geomorphic features of desert landscapes and landforms which may well be unparalleled. Noteworthy features, among others, include the world’s tallest, stabilized sand mega-dune (relative relief of 460 m); the highest concentration of inter-dunal lakes; and the largest expanse of so-called singing sands (describing the resonance caused for example by wind moving dry and loose sand) and wind-eroded landforms. The varied landscape also results in a high level of habitat diversity, and hence of biodiversity.
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Désert de Badain Jaran – Tours de sable et lacs
Situé sur le plateau d’Alashan, dans la région désertique hyperaride et tempérée du nord-ouest de la Chine, le désert de Badain se trouve à la croisée de trois régions sableuses de Chine et c’est le troisième plus grand désert et le deuxième plus grand désert mouvant du pays. Ce bien se distingue par la densité élevée de ses mégadunes et ses lacs interdunaires. Il expose les caractéristiques géologiques et géomorphologiques permanentes et spectaculaires de paysages et de formes de relief désertiques qui pourraient bien être sans égales. Parmi ses caractéristiques remarquables, on peut citer entre autres la mégadune stabilisée la plus haute du monde (relief relatif de 460 m), la plus grande concentration de lacs interdunaires, et la plus vaste étendue de sables dits « chantants » (pour qualifier le son du sable sec et meuble déplacé par le vent) et des reliefs érodés par le vent. Le paysage varié explique aussi l’importante diversité des habitats et, par extension, de la biodiversité.
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
صحراء باداين جاران- أبراج الرمال والبحيرات
تقع صحراء باداين جاران في هضبة ألاشان في منطقة صحراوية وشبه صحراوية شديدة الجفاف شمال غرب الصين. وتُعتبر هذه الصحراء نقطة التقاء لثلاث مناطق رملية صينية، وهي ثالث أكبر صحراء في الصين وثاني أكبر صحراء للتزلج على الرمال. ويتميز الموقع بكثرة الكثبان الرملية الضخمة والبحيرات الموزعة بين الكثبان. تُظهر الصحراء تضاريس وملامح جيولوجية مذهلة ودائمة للمناظر الطبيعية والتضاريس الصحراوية التي ربما تكون منقطعة النظير. وتشمل السمات الجديرة بالذكر، من بين جملة أمور أخرى، أعلى الكثبان الرملية الثابتة في العالم (بفارق ارتفاع نسبي يبلغ 460 متراً بين أعلى وأدنى نقطة)؛ أكبر تجمع للبحيرات الواقعة بين الكثبان الرملية؛ وأكبر مساحة للأصوات المعروفة باسم "غناء الكثبان الرملية" (وهي ظاهرة صدى الصوت الناتج عن حركة الرمال الجافة وغير المتماسكة بفعل الرياح على سبيل المثال) والتضاريس التي تعرضت للتعرية بسبب الرياح. ويُسهم تنوع التضاريس إسهاماً كبيراً أيضاً في إثراء تنوع الموائل الأمر الذي يُسفر في نهاية المطاف عن ازدهار التنوع البيولوجي.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
巴丹吉林沙漠——沙山湖泊群
巴丹吉林沙漠地处阿拉善高原，属中国西北极干旱的温带荒漠地区，是中国第三大沙漠和第二大流动沙漠。该地区以连绵起伏的高大沙山和丘间众多湖泊而闻名，展示了沙漠景观不断变换的地质和地貌特征，令人叹为观止，全球少有沙漠可以比肩。巴丹吉林沙漠的重要标志包括世界最高的固定沙山（相对高度达460米）、最密集的沙漠湖泊、最广阔的鸣沙区域，以及多样的风蚀地貌。如此多样化的景观展示了巴丹吉林沙漠非凡的自然美学价值，代表地球上重要、典型且持续的风沙地貌发展过程，从而也造就了丰富多彩的生物栖息地。
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Пустыня Бадын-Джаран — песчаные дюны и озера
Пустыня Бадын-Джаран расположена на Алашанском плато в сверхзасушливом и умеренном пустынном регионе северо-западного Китая. Она является точкой пересечения трех песчаных зон Китая, третьей по величине пустыней страны и второй по величине пустыней с дрейфующими песками. Объект отличает высокая плотность мегадюн, между которыми расположены озера. На его территории находятся пустынные ландшафты и формы рельефа с впечатляющими геологическими и геоморфологическими характеристиками, возможно, не имеющими аналогов. В частности, здесь находится самая высокая в мире неподвижная песчаная мегадюна (относительная высота — 460 м), а также сосредоточена самая высокая концентрация междюнных озер. Кроме того, здесь расположено самое большое количество так называемых «поющих песков» (так называют резонанс, возникающий, например, при ветровых колебаниях сухого и сыпучего песка) и рельефа, образованного в результате ветровой эрозии. Благодаря разнообразному ландшафту на территории района также сохраняется широкий спектр сред обитания, что способствует поддержанию биоразнообразия.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Desierto de Badain Jaran - Torres de arena y lagos
El Desierto de Badain Jaran, situado en la meseta de Alashan, en la región desértica hiperárida y templada del noroeste de China, es un punto de encuentro de tres regiones arenosas de China. Constituye el tercer desierto más grande del país y el segundo mayor desierto de arena movediza. Este desierto se distingue por la alta densidad de sus megadunas y sus lagos interdunares. Presenta unas espectaculares características geológicas y geomórficas permanentes y paisajes desérticos y accidentes geográficos que puede que sean incomparables. Destacan, entre otros, la megaduna de arena estabilizada más alta del mundo (460 m de relieve relativo), la mayor concentración de lagos interdunales y la mayor extensión de las llamadas “arenas cantarinas” (que describen la resonancia causada, por ejemplo, por el viento al mover arena seca y suelta) y de accidentes geográficos erosionados por el viento. La variedad del paisaje también se traduce en una gran diversidad de hábitats y, por tanto, de biodiversidad.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Outstanding Universal Value
Brief synthesis
The property covers an area of 726,291.41 ha, with a buffer zone of 891,114.36 ha. Badain Jaran Desert, located in the Alashan Plateau in the hyper-arid and temperate desert region of northwestern China, is the third largest desert in China and hosts an irreplaceable natural heritage of lake and dune desert features. It stands out with its high density of mega-dunes, including the tallest stabilized sand dunes in the world, a myriad of interdunal lakes, and a range of aeolian landform features. The mega-dunes form an undulating landscape, among which the tallest sand dune achieves a relative height of 460 m. For a sandy desert and sand sea, Badain Jaran is home to abundant plant life and mostly nocturnal animal life. The lakes are mostly saline and diversely coloured, providing a favourable habitat for thriving worms, molluscs, crustacea and some fish.
Due to its geographical location and geological background, the property is strongly influenced by climate change and the continuing tectonic uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Its desert-forming process is continuing, so that the site and its relics offer insights into long-term climatic changes and desert forming processes. The size and integrity of the site is important in understanding its ongoing evolution.
The property holds outstanding aesthetic values thanks to the significant abundance of mega-dunes, aeolian landscape diversity and to the uniqueness of its lakes.
Criterion (vii): Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes display spectacular ongoing geological and geomorphic features of desert landscapes and landforms subject to a temperate, hyper-arid climate. These features create exceptional aesthetic values emerging from the dense range of stabilized, linear, and parallel mega-dunes with numerous inter-dunal lakes as well as various types of smaller dunes in-between the mega-dunes. 144 inter-dunal lakes exhibit a myriad of colours, caused by different levels of salinity and microbial communities. With an exceptional expanse of so-called singing sands (describing the resonance caused e.g. by wind moving dry and loose sand), the property also presents a remarkable soundscape. Wind-eroded landforms, oases, ripple effects and the grandeur of the world’s tallest sand mega-dunes (relative relief of 460 m) compose a landscape of remarkable natural beauty. The dynamic of shifting sand dunes creates an ever-changing visual environment.
Criterion (viii): The property is located at the junction of three sandy regions of China and provides an outstanding example of the ongoing evolution of desert landscapes and landforms under a temperate and hyper-arid climate. It records and displays an exceptional variety of aeolian features and desert geomorphology, such as linear and parallel, stabilized mega-dunes and associated inter-dunal lakes. The property appears to be a very rare example at global scale that reflects the evolutionary landforms as a combined result of regional tectonism and hydrogeological changes associated with climatic evolution. The property also stands out due to the remarkable stability of its linear mega-dunes and the abundance of inter-dunal lakes. It boasts the densest collection of stabilized mega-dunes globally, encompassing among the tallest sand dunes and the highest concentration of inter-dunal lakes found anywhere on Earth. With 144 inter-dunal lakes and the considerable variety of dune formations, the property hosts a remarkable geodiversity. Both IUCN’s 2011 thematic study on desert landscapes and IUCN’s 2021 study on the application of criterion (viii) highlighted the property as one of the most significant desert landscapes and geomorphological sites, not currently represented on the World Heritage List.
Integrity
The property covers the continuous distribution area of mega-dunes and associated inter-dunal lakes, as well as other types of desert features. The vast area is large enough to protect the complete range of the necessary elements that convey the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. The area also covers a significant expanse of the desert ecosystem which is used sustainably. The buffer zone provides additional protection to the property and does not contain any potential pollution sources.
Most of the property is in an uninhabited natural desert state, though a few families of herdsmen with some camels, goats, donkeys, and sheep herds inhabit and traditionally use the property in a sustainable way. The property represents a wide and wild area with no paved roads. Towns, factories, and any potential threats are all excluded from the property and buffer zone. Impacts from tourism are controlled and limited to the property’s carrying capacity. To ensure the integrity of the inter-dunal lakes, it is essential to ensure that all groundwater sources feeding the lakes are carefully managed and not over-exploited. Further research needs to investigate the groundwater sources and inform potential additional action.
Protection and management requirements
The property is protected through several layers of protective designations. These include one autonomous region-level scenic site and two autonomous region-level nature reserves and designations as UNESCO Global Geopark and as National Geopark. The protection of the property is extended through national nature reserve status for the entire property. In addition, the property is also protected by a range of national, autonomous region-level, and local-level laws and regulations. Local regulations and a management plan have also been developed specifically for the property. The property shall also receive the highest level of legal protection as a national park.
The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People’s Government establishes a World Heritage Management Committee to assure coordinated leadership over the protection and management of the property and buffer zone. The management institutions involved in the protection of the property are integrated into of the Badain Jaran Desert World Heritage Management Office, which is responsible for the daily protection and management of the property. Local functional departments, monitoring agencies, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other research institutes provide technical support, and are specifically responsible for the monitoring, research and protection of the property.
Local regulations and a Management Plan have been developed specifically for the property. The State Party undertakes to strictly protect the property and buffer zone, ensuring the integrity of all the natural values and elements. Specific measures include, firstly, strengthening the monitoring and scientific research on natural values and elements such as sand dunes, lakes and vegetation, and implementing adaptive management. Secondly to establish and improve the monitoring system and database for the property, and carry out targeted protection and control measures. Thirdly, local people will be involved in the team for protection, co-management, monitoring and public education. Fourthly, community participation will be strengthened and, fifthly, the balance between heritage protection and local social and economic sustainable development shall be achieved, including through sustainable eco-tourism whilst strictly control the scale and behaviour of tourists to ensure that the impact of tourism on the natural heritage values remains minimal.
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