Mount Richard-Molard

Landscape at the Nimba

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The Mont Richard - Molard (sometimes Mont Nimba and formerly Mont Nouon ) is at an altitude of 1,752 m, the highest mountain in the Ivory Coast and Guinea. It is located on the border of these two countries and is only 9.4 km from the border with Liberia. He is also the highest elevation of Nimbaberge.

The Mount nearest cities are Lola (24 km), Nzérékoré (48 km) in Guinea and Yekepa (14 km) in Liberia.

The mountain is named after the geographer Jacques Richard - Molard, who passed on him in 1951 as a result of a fall.

World Heritage

In 1944, the Nature Park réserve naturelle du Mont Nimba intégrale was founded around the mountain with an area of ​​currently approximately 180 km ². He is since 1981 because of its biodiversity on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Approx. 130 km ² of natural parks are located on the territory of Guinea, about 50 km ² on the territory of Côte d' Ivoire. In large parts of the natural park of any tourism is prohibited.

Hazards

In Liberia, was dismantled by the year 1989 out of the mountain of iron ore until stocks were exhausted.

Since 1992, the Mont Nimba is on the red list of endangered world heritage. Reason for this was that Guinea unilaterally reduced the boundaries of the park and a mining company admitted a concession for mining iron ore. Supposedly would be the limits have been "accidentally" set incorrectly. In 1993, a tentative agreement on the establishment of an enclave was achieved within the park boundaries.

Political unrest in the region, in particular the fact that the Government of the Ivory Coast for years no longer has any control over their part of the park area have since led to the facilities of the reserve are largely destroyed. In Guinea, the influx of refugees in the area of the park stops apparently, the destruction of forest land by herders could not be stopped.

Around 2003, the exploration of iron ore mine has begun; illegal hunting by miners is now weighing the reserve addition. The World Heritage Committee is skeptical whether the involvement of the international mining consortium succeeds in a protection concept. From this will insure that the planned for the removal of the ore Trans -Guinea railway should stop before the boundaries of the park.

Swell

• Justification of Welterbekommittees for inclusion in the Red List (English)
• Status Report 1999 ( English)