Armed conflict, insecurity and environmental pressures are threatening ancient cities, historic castles and one of the world’s greatest wildlife migrations.
In response, the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) has added six sites to its List of World Heritage in Danger.
Meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea, the World Heritage Committee on Sunday granted emergency protection to three newly inscribed World Heritage sites and added three previously recognized sites to the danger list.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
UNESCO said the emergency procedure reflects a world increasingly shaped by armed conflict, climate change and other crises that pose “serious threats” to irreplaceable cultural and natural heritage.
Heritage in conflict
Three new sites were inscribed – or added – through an emergency procedure before being added to the danger list.
One is Mount Amel Castles in southern Lebanon, a collection of five fortresses spanning the Crusader, Islamic and Ottoman periods.
Already under enhanced protection under international humanitarian law, the castles have suffered extensive damage during the ongoing conflict. According to the Committee, “the ongoing conflict directly jeopardizes the site’s conservation and requires urgent intervention”.
Another emergency inscription, Sebastia in the Occupied West Bank, preserves archaeological remains spanning more than 2,000 years of history.
© UNESCO/MoTA The Roman theatre at the village of Sebastia in the West Bank of Palestine. UNESCO said the Palestinian site faces mounting pressures from the conflict in the Middle East, along with general development and plans for a national park that could divide the property.
Wildlife under threat
The third emergency inscription, South Sudan’s Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape, which hosts the world’s largest known terrestrial mammal migration, highlights how humanitarian crises also endanger natural heritage.
© UNESCO/Gael R.Vande weghe The Boma-Badingilo migratory landscape of South Sudan. According to UNESCO, the site “reflects the important cultural, and linguistic diversity of the region with several ethnic groups who have been custodians of this landscape through herding, farming and fishing for centuries and even millennia”.
But commercial poaching, wildlife trafficking, infrastructure development and persistent insecurity are putting the ecosystem under increasing strain and hampering conservation efforts.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Existing sites threatened
The Committee also added three previously inscribed World Heritage sites to the danger list.
In Ukraine, the Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora has deteriorated during the temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia. UNESCO and the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) have documented new construction and large-scale excavations that threaten the site’s authenticity.
In Lebanon, the ancient city of Tyre was added as hostilities continue to endanger one of the Mediterranean’s most significant archaeological sites.
In Suriname, the Historic Inner City of Paramaribo was placed on the danger list after new construction projects significantly altered its historic urban landscape.
More than monuments
UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger is intended to mobilize international cooperation and technical support for sites facing exceptional threats.
This year’s decisions underscore a broader reality: armed conflict, climate change and development pressures are increasingly putting not only cultural and natural heritage at risk, but also the communities, ecosystems and histories they represent.