The Zambian government has formally submitted the Barotse Plains Cultural Landscape to UNESCO for consideration as a World Heritage Site, consolidating work done by the National Heritage Conservation Commission, Barotse Royal Establishment and Ministry of Tourism.

A decision is expected in 2026 once the International Council on Monuments and Sites at the United Nations has completed its study.

The Barotse Plains are in Western Province and are adjacent to Liuwa Plain National Park. A vast area fed by the Zambezi and Kabompo (and other) rivers, it includes the Ngonye Falls and is a designated Ramsar birding site.

In addition to spectacular bird and wildlife sightings, the area is famous for the Kuomboka festival around the capital Mongu, which takes place when the royal household moves location in response to the floodwaters rising after good summer rains.

The Lozi tribe has long lived here; ‘Barotse’ is compounding of ‘rotse’ as a corruption of ‘Lozi’ and ‘ba’, which means ‘people’.

If the Barotse Plains application is successful, it will be Zambia’s second World Heritage Site. The first is Mosi-oa-Tunya or the Victoria Falls.

You can read more about the application and justification here.

If you would like to visit, there is accommodation in Liuwa Plains National Park.

PHOTO CREDIT Gerrit Rautenbach | Dreamstime