UNESCO has listed 55 World Heritage Sites as in danger, a signal to the international community that support is needed for their protection. But for some it may be already too late...
THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM AND ITS WALLS
Jerusalem is a World Heritage Site for its importance in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It has 220 historic monuments including the Dome of the Rock that rises above the city and the Wailing Wall that determines the different religious communities. Work initiated on the site by authorities, such as archaeological excavations or new constructions, have raised "deep concern" that the Old City is losing its cultural heritage.
TROPICAL RAINFOREST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Sumatra's huge expanse of 2.5 million hectares of tropical rainforest comprises three national parks and is home to an estimated 10,000 plant species, 580 bird species and over 200 mammal species, many of which are endemic to the area such as the Sumatran orangutan. The site holds great potential for the long-term conservation of many of these endangered species but it is threatened by poaching, illegal logging and agricultural encroachment with plans to build roads through the site.
Sumatra's huge expanse of 2.5 million hectares of tropical rainforest comprises three national parks and is home to an estimated 10,000 plant species, 580 bird species and over 200 mammal species, many of which are endemic to the area such as the Sumatran orangutan. The site holds great potential for the long-term conservation of many of these endangered species but it is threatened by poaching, illegal logging and agricultural encroachment with plans to build roads through the site.
TIMBUKTU, MALI
Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital. A center for the propagation of Islam, it also houses three great mosques that reflect the city's golden age. Today, its monuments are under threat from desertification due to armed conflict in the region as well as the looting and smuggling of cultural objects, notably ancient manuscripts. UNESCO hopes to raise support for the site and has asked Mali's neighbors to prevent trafficking in cultural objects.
Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital. A center for the propagation of Islam, it also houses three great mosques that reflect the city's golden age. Today, its monuments are under threat from desertification due to armed conflict in the region as well as the looting and smuggling of cultural objects, notably ancient manuscripts. UNESCO hopes to raise support for the site and has asked Mali's neighbors to prevent trafficking in cultural objects.
LIVERPOOL MARITIME MERCANTILE CITY, UK
As one of the world's major trading centers in the 18th and 19th centuries, Liverpool played a pivotal role in the growth of the British Empire and became the major port for the mass movement of people (slaves and emigrants). After the proposed construction of Liverpool Waters, a redevelopment of the historic docklands that would significantly alter the profile of the city, the site was added to the danger listing.
GARAMBA NATIONAL PARK, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
This park is home to an endemic sub-species of Congolese giraffe and the last worldwide population of the northern white rhinoceros - where only some 30 individuals of the species remain. Its immense savannah and grassland mean that the threat of hunting is the biggest danger to the site and requires urgent action to prevent the irredeemable loss of its species.
ANCIENT CITY OF DAMASCUS, SYRIA
All six of Syria's World Heritage Sites have been signaled as in danger since the outbreak of civil war, including Palmyra and the Ancient City of Aleppo. It is hoped that the danger listing will garner support for the safeguarding of these historical sites in order to prevent further irreversible damage caused by armed conflict.
RAINFORESTS OF ATSINANANA, MADAGASCAR
Separated from all other land masses more than 60 million years ago, Madagascar's biodiversity thrived and evolved in isolation. The six national parks that make up its rainforests support many threatened and endemic species, including at least 25 species of lemur. It has been added to the danger listing due to illegal loggers building temporary roads to transport wood outside of the protected areas and the huge problem of lemur hunting.
BELIZE BARRIER REEF RESERVE SYSTEM
Belize's Barrier Reef, the largest in the northern hemisphere, is an outstanding display of nature and a significant habitat for threatened species such as marine turtles, manatees and the American marine crocodile. Threatened by excessive development and consequent mangrove cutting, the Committee requested the strict control of development on the site and that the expired temporary prohibition of mangrove cutting be reinstated.
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, USA
The watery depths of the Everglades are a sanctuary for birds, reptiles and manatees, a threatened species. It comprises the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere but the serious and continuing degradation of its aquatic system has led to significant signs of eutrophication, an excess of nutrients which has led to overly dense plant life, loss of marine habitat and a decline in marine species.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF CYRENE
First a Greek colony then a Roman capital, Cyrene has a thousand years of history written into its ruins. However, similarly to Syria, the instability of Libya has forced UNESCO to place the country's five World Heritage Sites on the list of those in danger, including the Archaeological Site of Sabratha and the Rock-Art of Tadrart Acacus. Significant damage has already been caused but the Committee hopes to curb the threat of further damage by raising awareness of these important historic sites.