Wazee wa Mazingira awarded the UNESCO–Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes for protecting Mount Kulal Biosphere Reserve in Kenya

Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 7 November 2025 — Wazee wa Mazingira, the Council of Elders, has been awarded the 2025 edition of the UNESCO–Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes, which carries a US$30,000 award. The recognition honours their enduring leadership in safeguarding and managing the Mount Kulal Biosphere Reserve in northern Kenya. The award ceremony took place on 7 November 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on the margins of the 43rd session of the General Conference, with representatives of the Governments of Greece and Kenya and numerous Member States in attendance.

Nominated as a Biosphere Reserve since 1978 and included on Kenya’s Tentative List for World Heritage since 2023, Mount Kulal was recognised by an International Jury as a model of sustainable coexistence between culture and nature.

© UNESCO

Located east of Lake Turkana, the reserve spans over than 2.8 million hectares, featuring a volcanic massif rising to 2,335 metres, steep gorges, and surrounding semi-arid lands. Its diverse ecosystems are home to several endemic species, including the Kulal Chameleon and the Kulal White-eye, contributing to the region’s rich biodiversity.

For the Samburu, Turkana, Rendille, Gabra and El Molo communities, Mount Kulal — whose name means “temporary resting place” —is a sacred and living landscape, where forests, gorges, and water sources are intertwined with traditions, rituals, and ancestral knowledge, guiding each generation in the stewardship of the massif.

Through customary laws and community governance, Wazee wa Mazingira have long preserved Mount Kulal’s ecosystems — including its forests, water, and biodiversity. The Elders oversee forest patrols, resource use, restoration programs and invasive species management, blending traditional practices such as rotational paddocking, swales, and sacred taboos with contemporary conservation approaches.

These initiatives maintain ecological integrity, safeguard intangible cultural heritage, and support livelihoods through ecotourism, beekeeping, and medicinal-plant enterprises, forming a resilient, community-led management model.

Amid the pressures of climate change, deforestation, and development, the proactive stewardship of the Wazee wa Mazingira ensures Mount Kulal’s continued integrity. Their work strengthens cultural and spiritual connections with the mountain, expressed through songs, rituals, and oral traditions passed down over more than twenty generations.

For the Samburu, Turkana, Rendille, Gabra and El Molo peoples, Mount Kulal remains both a refuge and source of renewal. This year’s laureate demonstrates the power of integrated conservation, intergenerational knowledge transmission, and locally led management — principles at the heart of UNESCO’s approach to its designated sites. Mount Kulal Biosphere Reserve stands as a living example of environmental management rooted in local knowledge and practices, where belief and ecology are inseparable.

By honouring Wazee wa Mazingira, UNESCO and Greece celebrate the enduring bond between people, culture, and nature. The UNESCO–Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes highlights the critical role of communities in safeguarding cultural landscapes and serves as an inspiration for sustainable, people-centred conservation worldwide.

Contact:

UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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