Humber joins bid to become a natural World Heritage site like Great Barrier Reef and Galapagos Islands

An application has been submitted by the RSPB to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport for the East Coast wetlands, spanning habitats from the Humber in the north to the Thames in the south, to be added to the UK’s tentative List of World Heritage sites

Currently there are just two natural World Heritage sites in the UK; Dorset and East Devon Coast and the Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast.

It comes after a recent review, authored by consultants ABPmer, concluded that the East Coast is of "outstanding universal value" owing to the world class network of coastal wetlands which support globally important migratory bird populations.

Around one million birds migrate to the East Coast each winter to shelter from harsh conditions in Scandinavia, Canada, Greenland and Siberia, where they refuel on a rich buffet of invertebrates on the muddy shorelines.

In the spring the coast fills with around 200,000 migrating and breeding birds, and in the autumn, around 700,000 birds make the area home.

The wetlands support over 155 different bird species, including 29 which gather in "internationally important numbers" and many of which are endangered.

They include knot, black-tailed godwit, dark-bellied brent geese and bar-tailed godwit.

The application was submitted in response to a government review of potential sites and is led by the RSPB, and supported by the National Trust, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, several councils and The Crown Estate.

Richard Barnard, Yorkshire and Humber Area Manager for the RSPB, said: “A wide range of species use the Humber as an essential home and as refuge during huge migration journeys. It’s so exciting to think that the east coast is up there with some of the most important places for nature globally.”

The proposed boundary of the site is defined by existing nature conservation areas covering 170,000 hectares of coastline from the Humber estuary in the North to the Thames in the South.

James Robinson, Director of Conservation, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, said: “This bid recognises the incredible value of wetlands for nature, people and the planet.

"At WWT we witness how important protected wetlands are in providing vital food and shelter for the tens of thousands of wild water birds who arrive at our reserves in spectacular flocks every year on their annual winter migrations.

"The people of the East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have always known how fantastic the Humber’s wetlands are but for them to be recognised on a world stage would help us all speak up for these habitats and the importance of protecting and celebrating them.”

A decision on whether the East Coast wetlands will be added to the UK’s tentative list is expected by early 2023.

The Galápagos Islands is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It's considered one of the world's foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing, while the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system.

Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa.