UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in Danger

Last Updated on 27th July, 2024
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Description

UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in Danger

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Context

  • The Saint Hilarion complex, one of the oldest monasteries in the Middle East, has been put on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in danger due to the war in Gaza.

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Saint Hilarion Monastery

Saint Hilarion Monastery, located at the archaeological site of Tell Umm el-'Amr near Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, is an ancient Christian monastery established around 340 CE. Founded by Hilarion, a native of the Gaza region and a significant figure in Palestinian monasticism, the monastery's origins are tied to Hilarion's conversion to Christianity and his subsequent hermitage inspired by St. Anthony. The site features remnants spanning from the Late Roman to the Umayyad period, including five successive churches, bath and sanctuary complexes, geometric mosaics, and an expansive crypt. The early hermitage, consisting of small cells made from perishable materials, has not survived. Abandoned after a seventh-century earthquake, the site was rediscovered by local archaeologists in 1999. Local tradition and 19th-century Western travelers indicate that the monastery's prayer hall may now be occupied by the Mosque of al-Khidr, with marble columns possibly from the Byzantine-era monastery.The Ministry of Tourism in Gaza reported that the monastery was in urgent need of preservation, a challenge exacerbated by regional conflict and lack of resources. The site was listed on the 2012 World Monuments Watch and classified as "Rescue Needed" by the Global Heritage Network. In December 2023, UNESCO granted the monastery "provisional enhanced protection," but in January 2024, Al Jazeera reported significant damage to the monastery due to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war. By July 2024, the monastery was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger by UNESCO.

The List of World Heritage in Danger

  • The List of World Heritage in Danger is compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the World Heritage Committee.
  • Established under Article 11.4 of the World Heritage Convention, which was created in 1972, the list identifies World Heritage Sites that are under significant threat and require major conservation efforts.
  • The purpose of this list is to raise international awareness of these threats and to encourage protective measures.

Criteria for Listing

Entries on the list are those World Heritage Sites that face either proven imminent threats or potential dangers that could adversely affect their preservation.

  • Natural Sites: Ascertained dangers include a serious decline in endangered species, deterioration of natural beauty, or scientific value due to human activities like logging, pollution, settlement, mining, and agriculture.
  • Cultural Sites: Ascertained dangers involve serious deterioration of materials, structures, or architectural coherence, and loss of historical authenticity or cultural significance. Potential dangers for both site types include development projects, armed conflicts, inadequate management systems, or changes in legal protective status. Cultural sites may also face gradual threats from changes in geology, climate, or environment.

Inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger

Under the 1972 World Heritage Convention, a World Heritage property can be inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger by the Committee if its condition meets specific criteria. These criteria are categorized into two main cases for cultural and natural properties.

For Cultural Properties

Ascertained Danger

A cultural property may be considered to face ascertained danger if it is subjected to imminent threats, including:

  • Serious deterioration of materials.
  • Serious deterioration of structural or ornamental features.
  • Significant loss of architectural or town-planning coherence.
  • Severe deterioration of urban or rural space, or the natural environment.
  • Important loss of historical authenticity.
  • Significant loss of cultural significance.

Potential Danger

A cultural property may be facing potential danger if it is exposed to threats that could negatively impact its inherent characteristics, such as:

  • Modification of the property’s legal status that reduces its protection.
  • Lack of a conservation policy.
  • Threats from regional planning projects.
  • Impacts from town planning.
  • Risk or threat of armed conflict.
  • Adverse effects of climatic, geological, or other environmental factors.

For Natural Properties

Ascertained Danger

A natural property is considered to be in ascertained danger if it faces imminent threats such as:

  • A significant decline in the population of endangered species or other species of Outstanding Universal Value, whether due to natural factors or human activities like poaching.
  • Severe deterioration of the property’s natural beauty or scientific value due to human activities like construction, industrial development, or pollution.
  • Human encroachment that threatens the property’s integrity.

Potential Danger

A natural property may be deemed to face potential danger if major threats could impact its characteristics, including:

  • Changes to the legal protective status of the area.
  • Planned development projects within or near the property that threaten its integrity.
  • Outbreak or threat of armed conflict.
  • Inadequate or absent management plans or systems.
  • Threats from climatic, geological, or other environmental factors.

Assessment and Decision Process

  • Before a property is added to the List of World Heritage in Danger, its condition is evaluated, and a potential corrective measures program is developed with the involved State Party.
  • The final decision to inscribe a site is made by the World Heritage Committee. The committee may allocate financial support from the World Heritage Fund to help listed properties.
  • The state of conservation is reviewed annually, and the committee may request additional measures, remove the property from the list if threats are mitigated, or consider removing it from both the List of World Heritage in Danger and the World Heritage List.

Procedures and Considerations

Development of Corrective Measures

  • Once a site is inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, the World Heritage Committee works with the State Party to develop and adopt a program for corrective measures.
  • The Committee also monitors the site’s situation to ensure that efforts are made to restore its values and remove it from the danger list as soon as possible.

Perceptions and Reactions

  • The inscription of a site on the danger list is not universally perceived in the same way.
  • Some countries apply for inscription to draw international attention and obtain expert help, while others may view it as a negative mark.
  • It should be understood as a mechanism to address specific conservation needs rather than a sanction.

Deletion from the Lists

  • If a site loses the characteristics that led to its inscription on the World Heritage List, the Committee may decide to remove it from both the List of World Heritage in Danger and the World Heritage List. This provision has been applied twice in the history of the Convention.
  • Several sites have been delisted after being placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, including the Dresden Elbe Valley and the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City.
  • The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was delisted directly. Some sites, such as the Church of the Nativity, were designated as World Heritage Sites and placed on the danger list within the same year.

Benefits of Inscription

Immediate Assistance

  • Inscribing a site on the List of World Heritage in Danger enables the World Heritage Committee to provide immediate assistance from the World Heritage Fund to help address the threats facing the property.

International Awareness

  • The listing serves to alert the international community to the endangered status of the site, encouraging collective efforts to address the issues and preserve the property.

Conservation Response

  • The prospect of inscription can prompt rapid conservation actions. The listing facilitates a targeted response to specific preservation needs, often leading to effective interventions.

Impact and Criticisms

  • In some cases, listing a site as endangered has led to successful conservation efforts and funding, as seen with the Galápagos Islands and Yellowstone National Park.
  • However, the list and UNESCO’s implementation have faced criticism. States Parties and other stakeholders have questioned the authority of the Committee to list a site as endangered without their consent.
  • Historically, States Parties would submit corrective measures before a site could be listed.
  • Critics argue that the list is sometimes used politically and that long-term listings may not always be the best conservation approach.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has noted that UNESCO has referenced the danger list in some cases where threats could be addressed by the State Party without formal listing.

Current Status

  • As of April 2024, there are 56 entries on the List of World Heritage in Danger, comprising 16 natural and 40 cultural sites.
  • These sites are distributed across UNESCO regions as follows: 23 in the Arab States, 14 in Africa, 6 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 6 in Asia and the Pacific, and 7 in Europe and North America.
  • The majority of endangered natural sites (11) are located in Africa.
  • Many of the endangered sites face threats from natural disasters, armed conflict, neglect, pollution, and unsustainable tourism.
  • Notable examples include Syria, with sites like the Ancient City of Aleppo and the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria affected by the Syrian Civil War, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where military conflict and environmental degradation threaten several national parks.

UNESCO LIST OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN DANGER

No.

Name

Location

Criteria

Year (WHS)

Endangered

Reason

1

Abu Mena

Abusir, Egypt

Cultural: (iv)

1979

2001–

Cave-ins due to clay becoming semi-liquid when exposed to excess water

2

Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves

Arlit Department, Niger

Natural: (vii), (ix), (x)

1991

1992–

Jihadist insurgency, civil disturbance, reduction in wildlife, and vegetation degradation

3

Ancient City of Aleppo

Aleppo Governorate, Syria

Cultural: (iii), (iv)

1986

2013–

Syrian Civil War, bombings threatening the site

4

Ancient City of Bosra

Daraa Governorate, Syria

Cultural: (i), (iii), (vi)

1980

2013–

Syrian Civil War

5

Ancient City of Damascus

Damascus Governorate, Syria

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (vi)

1979

2013–

Syrian Civil War, rebel gunfire, mortar shelling

6

Ancient Villages of Northern Syria

Syria

Cultural: (iii), (iv), (v)

2011

2013–

Syrian Civil War, looting and demolitions by Islamist groups

7

Archaeological Site of Cyrene

Jebel Akhdar, Libya

Cultural: (ii), (iii), (vi)

1982

2016–

Libyan Civil War, presence of armed groups

8

Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna

Khoms, Libya

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii)

1982

2016–

Libyan Civil War, presence of armed groups

9

Archaeological Site of Sabratha

Sabratha, Libya

Cultural: (iii)

1982

2016–

Libyan Civil War, presence of armed groups

10

Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)

Salah ad Din, Iraq

Cultural: (iii), (iv)

2003

2003–

Planned reservoir suspended; lack of protection

11

Chan Chan Archaeological Zone

La Libertad, Peru

Cultural: (i), (iii)

1986

1986–

Natural erosion

12

City of Potosí

Potosí, Bolivia

Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)

1987

2014–

Mining causing instability, further mining threats

13

Coro and its Port

Falcón, Venezuela

Cultural: (iv), (v)

1993

2005–

Damage due to heavy rain and construction in buffer zone

14

Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din

Homs and Latakia Governorates, Syria

Cultural: (ii), (iv)

2006

2013–

Syrian Civil War, damage and looting by Islamist groups

15

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley

Bamyan, Afghanistan

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (vi)

2003

2003–

Abandonment, military action, dynamite explosions

16

East Rennell

Rennell and Bellona Province, Solomon Islands

Natural: (ix)

1998

2013–

Logging and its effect on local ecosystem

17

Everglades National Park

Florida, United States

Natural: (viii), (ix), (x)

1979

1993–2007, 2010–

Damage from Hurricane Andrew, water flow deterioration, marine habitat loss

18

Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo

Colón Province, Panama

Cultural: (i), (iv)

1980

2012–

Environmental factors, lack of maintenance, urban development

19

Garamba National Park

Orientale, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Natural: (vii), (x)

1980

1984–1992, 1996–

Poaching, reduction of white rhinoceros population

20

Hatra

Nineveh Governorate, Iraq

Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv), (vi)

1985

2015–

Damage inflicted by the Islamic State (IS)

21

Hebron

Hebron Governorate, Palestine

Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)

2017

2017–

22

Historic Centre of Odesa

Odesa, Ukraine

Cultural: (ii), (iv)

2023

2023–

Russo-Ukrainian War

23

Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

Kyiv, Ukraine

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

1990

2023–

Russo-Ukrainian War

24

L'viv – the Ensemble of the Historic Centre

Lviv, Ukraine

Cultural: (ii), (v)

1998

2023–

Russo-Ukrainian War

25

Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz

Qashqadaryo Region, Uzbekistan

Cultural: (iii), (iv)

2000

2016–

Urban development and destruction of buildings

26

Historic Centre of Vienna

Vienna, Austria

Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)

2001

2017–

New high-rise projects

27

Historic Town of Zabīd

Al Hudaydah, Yemen

Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)

1993

2000–

Deterioration of historic buildings

28

Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California

Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa and Nayarit, Mexico

Natural: (vii), (ix), (x)

2005

2019–

Imminent extinction of the vaquita

29

Kahuzi-Biega National Park

South Kivu and Maniema, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Natural: (x)

1980

1997–

Deforestation, hunting, and war

30

Lake Turkana National Parks

Kenya

Natural: (viii), (x)

1997

2018–

Impact of Ethiopia's Gilgel Gibe III Dam on the lake's flow and ecosystem

31

Landmarks of Ancient Kingdom of Saba

Marib, Yemen

Cultural: (iii), (iv)

2023

2023–

Yemeni Civil War

32

Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park

Bamingui-Bangoran, Central African Republic

Natural: (ix), (x)

1988

1997–

Illegal grazing, poaching, and security issues

33

Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam

Ghōr, Afghanistan

Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv)

2002

2002–

Lack of legal protection, poor condition of the site

34

Medieval Monuments in Kosovo

Serbia

Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv)

2004

2006–

March Pogrom, political instability

35

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve

Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea

Natural: (ix), (x)

1981

1992–

Mining concession, influx of refugees

36

Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia

Temwen Island, Micronesia

Cultural: (i), (iii), (iv), (vi)

2016

2016–

Siltation of waterways undermining structures

37

Niokolo-Koba National Park

Senegal

Natural: (ix), (x)

1981

1998–2007, 2010–

Poaching, deforestation, and the impacts of climate change

38

Old City of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv)

1979

1991–

Damage from shelling during the Croatian War of Independence

39

Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications

Galle, Sri Lanka

Cultural: (ii), (iv)

1988

2012–

Damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

40

Old Walled City of Shibam

Shibam, Yemen

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv)

1982

2004–

Damage from floods and Yemeni Civil War

41

Palmyra

Homs Governorate, Syria

Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv), (vi)

1980

2013–

Syrian Civil War, destruction by the Islamic State

42

Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

Lalibela, Ethiopia

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

1978

2021–

Armed conflicts and ethnic tensions

43

San Agustín Archaeological Park

Huila Department, Colombia

Cultural: (i), (iii), (iv)

1995

2008–

Illegal mining operations

44

San Pedro de Atacama

Antofagasta Region, Chile

Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv)

2003

2020–

Environmental issues due to mining and tourism

45

Shiretoko

Hokkaido, Japan

Natural: (vii), (x)

2005

2020–

Decline in brown bear population

46

The Cultural Landscape of the Chongming Dongtan Ramsar Wetland

Chongming District, Shanghai, China

Natural: (vii), (ix)

2002

2018–

Land reclamation and development threats

47

The Old City of Merv

Mary Province, Turkmenistan

Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv)

1999

2003–

Preservation challenges

48

The Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower

Baku, Azerbaijan

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv), (vi)

2000

2001–

Urban development pressures

49

Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve

Florida, United States

Natural: (ix), (x)

1988

2016–

Impacts from coastal erosion and invasive species

50

Timbuktu

Timbuktu, Mali

Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)

1988

2012–

Damage by extremist groups and local conflicts

51

Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve

Melaky and Sofia, Madagascar

Natural: (vii), (viii), (ix), (x)

1990

1999–

Illegal logging, mining, and invasive species

52

Tyre

Tyre, Lebanon

Cultural: (ii), (iii), (vi)

1984

2014–

Looting and destruction during conflicts

53

Upper Svaneti

Svaneti, Georgia

Cultural: (iii), (iv)

1996

2000–

Lack of proper conservation and infrastructure development

54

Wadi Rum

Ma'an Governorate, Jordan

Natural: (vii), (x)

2011

2011–

Environmental degradation due to increased tourism

55

Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower

Baku, Azerbaijan

Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv), (vi)

2000

2001–

Urban development pressures

56

Zabid

Al Hudaydah, Yemen

Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)

1993

2000–

Deterioration of historic buildings

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. What are the criteria for listing a site on the List of World Heritage in Danger and how does this listing facilitate international conservation efforts? Illustrate your answer with a recent example

SOURCE: THE HINDU

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