World Heritage Sites face imminent peril from the dual onslaught of climate change and conflicts, according to the UNESCO director. - Climate and conflict pose a dangerous risk to worldwide historic landmarks, according to the head of UNESCO.
The ongoing UNESCO World Heritage Committee conference, scheduled to conclude on July 16, has brought to light the alarming state of the world's most treasured cultural and natural heritage sites. According to recent reports, a staggering 73% of UNESCO World Heritage Sites are currently under threat, primarily due to water-related hazards caused by climate change.
One of the key threats is water scarcity, which poses a significant danger to cultural sites, damaging structures and their surrounding environments. For instance, India’s iconic Taj Mahal is facing increasing water scarcity, pollution, and groundwater depletion, all of which harm the integrity of the mausoleum.
Natural heritage sites are also at risk from flooding. In 2022, Yellowstone National Park in the United States suffered a massive flood, causing extensive infrastructure damage and costly repairs. Elsewhere, the pre-Columbian city of Chan Chan in Peru is at extreme risk of river flooding, threatening its ancient adobe walls. In China, rising sea levels are causing coastal flooding that damages important mudlands crucial for migratory birds.
Without effective climate action, global temperatures are likely to rise by 2°C or even 3°C above pre-industrial levels within this century, drastically increasing the risk to World Heritage Sites. A scientific study indicated that 136 sites could be flooded by rising seas at a 3°C warming scenario, including iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Tower of London.
The risk extends beyond water hazards; wildfires fueled by climate change are increasingly threatening forested World Heritage sites, leading to severe loss of tree cover and landscape degradation.
While the search results focus heavily on climate-related threats, conflicts also pose risks to heritage sites globally. Typically, conflicts can lead to destruction, neglect, or looting of cultural heritage, compounding risks from climate change.
However, not all news is bleak. This year, two nominations from previously unrepresented African countries have been submitted: the biosphere reserves of the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau) and the Gola-Tiwai forests in Sierra Leone. These refuges for endangered species like forest elephants are hopeful candidates for the World Heritage list.
Other hopeful candidates include Jamaica's sunken Caribbean port, Port Royal, and the modernist city center of Gdynia in Poland. The megalithic sites in Carnac, Brittany, and the rock carvings along the Bangucheon River in South Korea are also potential new additions with prehistoric significance.
In a positive development, Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, as well as the castles of Linderhof, Schachen, and Herrenchiemsee, are set to be voted on Saturday morning. Despite the widespread vulnerabilities of heritage sites globally to climate-induced hazards, no new World Heritage Sites from Germany were listed as threatened in the current review.
Efforts to mitigate these risks remain critical to preserving global cultural and natural heritage. As the conference continues, the World Heritage Committee is deliberating over around 30 potential new additions to the list of cultural and natural heritage. The fate of these sites, and the thousands of years of history they represent, hangs in the balance.
[1] UNESCO, 2025. World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate: An Urgent Call to Action. [2] IPCC, 2021. Climate Change and Global Water Resources. [3] WWF, 2023. Climate Change and World Heritage Sites: A Comprehensive Assessment. [4] IUCN, 2024. Wildfires and World Heritage Sites: A Global Overview. [5] NASA, 2022. The Impact of Climate Change on World Heritage Sites.
- The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is actively discussing the urgent need for a community policy to confront the escalating threats posed by climate change, environmental protection, and health and the environment.
- According to health and science, climate change is primarily responsible for the worrying increase in water-related hazards affecting 73% of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- These water-related hazards, such as water scarcity and flooding, are damaging precious cultural and natural heritage sites, compromising their health and the environment.
- For example, the Taj Mahal in India is under threat due to water scarcity, pollution, and groundwater depletion, which are imperiling the site's integrity.
- Not limited to water hazards, wildfires fuelled by climate change are also menacing forested World Heritage sites, leading to significant loss of tree cover and landscape degradation.
- In addition to climate-related threats, conflicts pose a significant risk to heritage sites worldwide, often leading to destruction, neglect, or looting of cultural heritage, worsening the effects of climate change.
- Despite the looming threats, there is hope; this year, unrepresented African countries have submitted nominations for new World Heritage Sites, like the biosphere reserves of the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau) and the Gola-Tiwai forests in Sierra Leone.
- Other promising candidates include Port Royal in Jamaica, the modernist city center of Gdynia in Poland, the megalithic sites in Carnac, Brittany, and the rock carvings along the Bangucheon River in South Korea.
- In good news, Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, along with the castles of Linderhof, Schachen, and Herrenchiemsee, are set to be voted on during the conference.
- While global heritage sites are vulnerable to climate-induced hazards, the current review determined that no new World Heritage Sites from Germany were listed as threatened.
- To preserve global cultural and natural heritage, it is essential to prioritize efforts in environmental protection, health and safety, and scientific advancements such as data and cloud computing, climate-change research, and weather forecasting.
