Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex

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Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex: A Biodiverse Haven Amidst Human Rights Concerns

The Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, is a testament to the rich biodiversity found within the Tenasserim mountain range in Thailand. This expansive forest complex spans across the Thailand-Myanmar border, sharing boundaries with the Tanintharyi Nature Reserve. Its designation as a World Heritage Site underscores its significant role in preserving global biodiversity, yet it remains entangled in controversies surrounding human rights violations against the indigenous communities residing within its borders.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The site is located along the Thailand side of the Tenasserim mountain range, part of a north-south granite and limestone mountain ridge running down the Malay Peninsula. Located at the cross-roads between the Himalayan, Indochina, and Sumatran faunal and floral realms, the property is home to rich biodiversity. It is dominated by semi-evergreen/dry evergreen and moist evergreen forest with some mixed deciduous forest, montane forest, and deciduous dipterocarp forest. A number of endemic and globally endangered plant and wildlife species have been reported in the property, which overlaps with two Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and is noted for its rich diversity of birdlife, including eight globally endangered fauna species. The property is home to the critically endangered Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis), the endangered Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus), Banteng (Bos javanicus), Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Yellow/Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), and the endangered Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys), as well as several other vulnerable species of birds and mammals. Remarkably, it is also home to eight cat species: the endangered tiger (Panthera tigris) and Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), the near-threatened Leopard (Panthera pardus) and Asian Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii), the vulnerable Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosi) and Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata), and the least concerned Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) and Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).

Encyclopedia Record: Kaeng Krachan National Park

Kaeng Krachan National Park is the largest national park of Thailand. It is on the border with Burma, contiguous with the Tanintharyi Nature Reserve. It is a popular park owing to its proximity to the tourist town of Hua Hin. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 26 July 2021, despite concerns from the OHCHR around the human rights violations of the indigenous people that live in the park.

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