NATURAL LANDSCAPE, RIVER / LAKE (28 whs)
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/categories/category6.html
Central Amazon Conservation Complex
Danube Delta
Donana National Park
Everglades
Ichkeul National Park
Iguacu
Iguazu National Park
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Kakadu National Park
Kenya Lake System
Lake Baikal

Lake Malawi
Lake Turkana
Lakes of Ounianga
Niokolo-Koba National Park
Ohrid Region
Okavango Delta
Pantanal
Plitvice Lakes
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve
Saryarka
Srebarna Nature Reserve
Sundarbans National Park
The Sundarbans
Three parallel rivers of Yunnan
Uvs Nuur Basin
Victoria Falls
Wood Buffalo National Park

My selection:

Central Amazon (represents the world's lungs)
Iguazu National Park (one of the best natural WHS in S America)
Kenya Lake System (one of Africa's best natural WHS)
Okavango Delta (one of Africa's best natural WHS)
Plitvice Lakes (one of Europe's best natural WHS)
Victoria Falls (one of the most spectacular waterfalls and natural WHS in the world not only in Africa)
Uvs Nuur Basin (seems rather unique)

I'd also include Canaima National Park here (highest waterfall in the world and a spectacular natural WHS in S America)

My selection:

Danube Delta - important for biodiversity
Central Amazon
Everglades - same
Ichkeul National Park - same, unique in North Africa
Iguazu National Park - better than the Brazilian side, the waterfall is iconic and must be represented.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park - to represent South African wetlands
Kenya lake system - for bird migration
Lake Baikal - the deepest, largest of freshwater, one of the oldest, well preserved
Lake Malawi - important for the study of evolution, biodiversity
Lakes of Ounianga -a unique scenery in the Sahara
Niokolo-Koba National Park - for biodiversity
Okavango Delta - same
Pantanal - same
Plitvice Lakes -for the traventine pools and scenery
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve - for biodiversity, represents the Mesoamerican tropics
Sundarbans National Park, Sundurbans - biodiversity - I would take one of these two, don't know which one
Victoria Falls - scenery, biodiversity
Canaima - waterfall

My selections:

Central Amazon Conservation Complex
Iguazu National Park
Three parallel rivers of Yunnan
Victoria Falls

Central Amazon Conservation Complex - the largest protected area in the Amazon Basin
Iguacu / Iguazu National Park - for its spectacular waterfalls
iSimangaliso Wetland Park - diverse wetland & coastal flora and fauna (could also be placed in the coastal/marine category)
Kenya Lake System - for the landscape backdrop of the Great Rift Valley
Lake Baikal - deepest, oldest and 2nd largest lake in the world
Lake Malawi - for its fish species
Lakes of Ounianga - unique series of freshwater lakes in the desert
Okavango Delta - for its seasonal flooding
Pantanal - best mammalwatching in South America
Plitvice Lakes - early WHS, also for its karst features and travertine pools
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve - to represent biodiversity in Central America
Sundarbans National Park / The Sundarbans - largest mangrove forest in the world, excellent example of a delta
Three parallel rivers of Yunnan - covers upper reaches of three of the great rivers of Asia: the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween
Uvs Nuur Basin - remote and enclosed salt lake system
Victoria Falls - for its spectacular waterfalls

11 YES, 5 MAYBE, 11 NO

- Central Amazon Conservation Complex – YES –it does seem the best to represent the Amazon and its size is important
-Iguazu National Park – YES - For its enormous and iconic waterfalls
-iSimangaliso Wetland Park – YES – Our "top list" needs a Southern African site with high natural value. This is inscribed on 3 Natural criteria. Things don't seem to have changed since the AB eval (1999) stated "There are currently 42 sites on the World Heritage list with major wetland values and 40 others that contain secondary wetland values. 40 existing World Heritage natural sites have a coastal and marine component. In Africa, the only World Heritage site comparable to GSL is the Banc d'Arguin in Mauritania which contains sandy marine and estuarine waters but does not have freshwater habitats or coral reefs"
-Kenya Lake System – YES – African Rift Valley, soda lakes, avifauna
-Lake Baikal – YES - Deepest fresh water lake, geology,
-Lake Malawi – YES (just) Another Rift Valley lake (albeit large) but has become "iconic" for its closed system study of evolution via Cyclids
-Okavango Delta – YES - inland delta with variable seasons and fauna
-Pantanal – YES – Coverage of S American flora and fauna especially mammals
-The Sundarbans – YES - A Major river delta and "the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world" The Bangla Desh inscription is preferred over Indian as covers a greater East/West slice and is further away from development etc
-Three parallel rivers of Yunnan – YES – as per Els really. 4 criteria covering bio and geo aspects. Large altitude variety.
-Uvs Nuur Basin – YES – Wildlife, inland salt lake, Steppe, Forest. AB states "It is difficult to assess whether Uvs Nuur contains the best of the world's steppe landscapes without a detailed knowledge of a biome that extends across 8,000km of Eurasia. However, virtually all the steppe landscapes of eastern Europe, the Ukraine, the central Russia uplands of the Don and Volga, Kazakstan, the western Siberian plain and Manchuria have been significantly modified – by arable agriculture and industrial development."
-Victoria Falls – YES – For iconic Waterfall (though we have a few of these now!!)

-Danube Delta – MAYBE - I really am not sure. OK it is important in European terms but doe we need another delta/flyway site on our curtailed List?
-Lakes of Ounianga – MAYBE – its fresh pools in the Sahara are certainly of "niche interest" and demonstrate aspects of the Saharan Aquifer. But is it really that important?
- Kakadu National Park – MAYBE Inscribed on 5 criteria of which 3 are natural. Is there anything better for the range of Australina flora and fauna? I really feel we should carry out a survey across the Australian natural sites after we have been through all the relevant categories to determine whether the range of its special Flora/fauna/landscapes is adequately covered
- Plitvice Lakes – MAYBE – but do we need yet more Travertine pools etc?
- Wood Buffalo National Park – MAYBE - 3 Criteria, inland delta and (semi?) "iconic" fauna.

-Donana National Park – NO – OK it is an important Wildlife site in Europe but it duplicates Anguin and Djoud as regards it Flyway role
-Everglades – NO - heavily compromised eco-system
-Iguacu – NO - duplicates the Argentine site and should have been combined with it
-Ichkeul National Park – NO – Only of "middling" importance at its best and its ecosystem has been heavily compromised
-Lake Turkana – NO – mixed fossil and wildlife criteria but doesn't seem to hit the peak on either and neither do the 2 together "add up" to something incontrovertibly "in" the top 400!
-Niokolo-Koba National Park – NO – Got in very early (1981). It seems verty degraded. There are other WHS covering the W Africa Savannah region ("W", Comoe and Manovo. If it were to be thought that this region needed a representation the latter might be the best.
-Ohrid Region – NO- Just can't see that its Natural values are of that order
-Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve – NO – I know there is a wide range of habitats in a small area in Meso-America but we can't represent all of them. I prefer to go for Salamanca-Amistad in this general region
-Saryarka – NO - To represent "Steppe"? Uvs Nuur does that to some extent anyway?
-Srebarna Nature Reserve – NO -Too small and relatively unimportant
-Sundarbans National Park – NO in favour of Bangladesh

I support:
- Central Amazon Conservation Complex
- The Sundarbans
- Iguacu / Iguazu
- Three parallel rivers of Yunnan
- Kenya Lake System

Summarizing:

Central Amazon Conservation Complex - best to represent the Amazon and its size is important
Danube Delta
Donana National Park
Everglades
Ichkeul National Park
Iguacu - go for the Argentian side?
Iguazu National Park - for its enormous and iconic waterfalls
iSimangaliso Wetland Park - to represent South African wetlands
Kakadu National Park
Kenya Lake System - African Rift Valley, soda lakes, avifauna
Lake Baikal - deepest, oldest and 2nd largest lake in the world
Lake Malawi - for its closed system study of evolution
Lake Turkana
Lakes of Ounianga - unique series of freshwater lakes in the desert
Niokolo-Koba National Park
Ohrid Region
Okavango Delta - inland delta with variable seasons and fauna
Pantanal - Coverage of S American flora and fauna especially mammals
Plitvice Lakes - early WHS, also for its karst features and travertine pools
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve - to represent biodiversity in Central America
Saryarka
Srebarna Nature Reserve
Sundarbans National Park (India) -
The Sundarbans (Bangladesh) - Major river delta and "the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world"
Three parallel rivers of Yunnan - covers upper reaches of three of the great rivers of Asia: the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween
Uvs Nuur Basin - Wildlife, inland salt lake, Steppe, Forest
Victoria Falls - for iconic Waterfall
Wood Buffalo National Park

- Central Amazon Conservation Complex
- The Sundarbans
- Iguazu
- Three parallel rivers of Yunnan
- Kenya Lake System
- Lake Baikal
- Lakes of Ounianga

I'm in agreement with pretty much all of the main choices that have been selected (Central Amazon Conservation Complex--though I really prefer Noel Kempff Mercado National Park to represent the biodiversity of the Amazon; Iguazu National Park, Kenya Lake System, Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls). I'd give extra votes to a couple lakes and some additional wetland areas for their fauna:

Lake Baikal -- deepest freshwater lake in the world
Plitvice Lakes -- this is purely sentimental, since I love the karst topography of the region
Everglades -- subtropical North American wetlands with a diversity of wading birds and other wildlife; one of the oldest inscribed WHS
Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve -- highlights tropical biodiversity in Central America
Pantanal -- incredibly diverse wetland in western Brazil; a World Biosphere Reserve
iSimangaliso Wetland Park -- represents South African wetlands, and includes coastal regions with whales and sharks

Time to pick up our Top 200 activities again, which you all have so enthusiastically continued during my 3 week absence.

I think we're done with this category, and I'll move them to the general list at http://www.worldheritagesite.org/allbyrank.php .

Central Amazon Conservation Complex - best to represent the Amazon and its size is important
Danube Delta
Donana National Park
Everglades - subtropical North American wetlands with a diversity of wading birds and other wildlife
Ichkeul National Park
Iguacu - go for the Argentian side?
Iguazu National Park - for its enormous and iconic waterfalls
iSimangaliso Wetland Park - to represent South African wetlands
Kakadu National Park
Kenya Lake System - African Rift Valley, soda lakes, avifauna
Lake Baikal - deepest, oldest and 2nd largest lake in the world
Lake Malawi - for its closed system study of evolution
Lake Turkana
Lakes of Ounianga - unique series of freshwater lakes in the desert
Niokolo-Koba National Park
Ohrid Region
Okavango Delta - inland delta with variable seasons and fauna
Pantanal - Coverage of S American flora and fauna especially mammals
Plitvice Lakes - early WHS, also for its karst features and travertine pools
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve - to represent biodiversity in Central America
Saryarka
Srebarna Nature Reserve
Sundarbans National Park (India) -
The Sundarbans (Bangladesh) - Major river delta and "the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world"
Three parallel rivers of Yunnan - covers upper reaches of three of the great rivers of Asia: the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween
Uvs Nuur Basin - Wildlife, inland salt lake, Steppe, Forest
Victoria Falls - for iconic Waterfall
Wood Buffalo National Park