Lag Badana National Park

Coordinates: 1°23′S 41°35′E / 1.39°S 41.59°E / -1.39; 41.59
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Lag Badana National Park
Map showing the location of Lag Badana National Park
Map showing the location of Lag Badana National Park
Map of Somalia
LocationLower Juba, Somalia
Nearest cityKismayo
Coordinates1°23′S 41°35′E / 1.39°S 41.59°E / -1.39; 41.59[1]
Area3,340 km2 (1,290 sq mi)

Lag Badana National Park (Bushbush National Park) is a national park of Somalia. It is located on the far southern coast.

Overview

Lag Badana was the first national park to be established in the country. During the second half of the 1980s, the Ministry of Tourism under the Siad Barre administration sought to center the tourist industry in the vicinity of the park, with nearby coral reefs and offshore islands likewise envisioned as part of the development.[2]

By 1989, newer legislation was drafted governing the establishment of national parks, game reserves and special reserves. The conservation of wildlife resources was at this time overseen by the Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range's National Range Agency. Its Department of Wildlife also operated an independent law-enforcement unit, which had been created through presidential decree.[3]

Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, development of the national park came to a halt. In August 2014, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced a number of new development projects aimed at Somalia's youth. Among these was an initiative to assign leadership of the national park to young managers so as to strengthen environmental preservation and potential tourism opportunities.[4]

Since 2005, the protected area is considered a

Lion Conservation Unit.[5]

Wildlife

The Lag Badana area contains over 200 vascular plant species and is home to rare animals like the

References

  1. ^ "Lag Badana-Bushbush National Park". protectedplanet.net. Archived from the original on 2013-06-19.
  2. ^ Coastal and Marine Environmental Problems of Somalia, Volume 1. UNEP. 1987. p. 127.
  3. .
  4. ^ "Investing in the next generation: creating the future for Somalia's youth". Markacadeey. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  5. ^ IUCN Cat Specialist Group (2006). Conservation Strategy for the Lion Panthera leo in Eastern and Southern Africa. Pretoria, South Africa: IUCN.
  6. . Retrieved 28 April 2012.