UNESCO on Wednesday said four traditional practices, from the Philippines, Botswana, Kenya and Mauritius, have been included in the list of intangible cultural heritage.
They are the thanksgiving ritual system Buklog of the Subanen from the Philippines; the Seperu folk dance in Botswana; rituals and practices associated with Kit Mikayi shrine in Kenya and the musical genre Sega tambour in Mauritius, which originates from the Chagos archipelago.
These traditional practices are threatened by factors including ageing practitioners, poverty, rural exodus and environmental damage.
The intangible heritage committee plans to consider further traditions for inscription in the list of the 50 rituals submitted for its consideration.
These include the traditional Thai massage Nuad Thai, Irish harp music and alpinism from France, Italy and Switzerland.
The meeting, held in 2019 in Bogota, Colombia continues until Dec. 14.
