The United Nations has warned that potential cultural and natural heritage sites in South Sudan are at risk of destruction.

The UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization says South Sudan has rich and diverse sites, ranging from the second largest wildlife migration route to wetlands.

Others are sacred mountains and cultural landscapes.

But UNESCO says the potential sites that could be listed for World Heritage face risks associated with poaching, uninformed urban planning and concessions awarded for exploration and exploitation of natural resources such as oil and minerals.

In a statement, the UN agency says it has been holding workshops with government authorities and experts since 2012 in the process of identifying sites that could be added to the World Heritage Tentative List.

It says a workshop will be held this month and another in September as part of preparing a list that could be presented in the coming years for World Heritage List.

This will be followed by research, mapping and documentation necessary for the preparation of an eventual World Heritage nomination file.