Photo source: AhmadElhan, via Wikimedia Commons
Imagine a world without historical buildings and ancient monuments that remind us of the achievements of human beings through the ages.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites are invaluable cultural and natural assets, recognized for their outstanding universal value. For a site to be designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site, it must meet at least one of ten specific criteria.
There are over 1,100 UNESCO Heritage Sites across the globe, which include both cultural and natural categories. Cultural Heritage Sites include monuments, groups of buildings, and archaeological sites like the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the Great Wall of China. On the other hand, Natural Heritage Sites are celebrated for their natural beauty and biodiversity. Some of the well-known sites include the Grand Canyon National Park in the US and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
These sites are more than tourist destinations, they are cultural landmarks, symbols of resilience, and vital pieces of our shared heritage. Unfortunately, many of these sites are at risk due to ongoing conflicts, sea-level rise, flooding, erosion, and other human activity.
According to UNESCO, 1 in 3 natural sites and 1 in 6 cultural heritage sites are currently threatened by climate change, with 56 now listed as World Heritage Sites at risk.
These are some heritage sites that have been impacted by conflict and climate change.
The Historic Centre of Odessa
UNESCO designated the historic Centre of Odesa, a strategic port city on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, a World Heritage in Danger site in January 2023. Odesa has been bombed several times by Russia since it invaded Ukraine.
Since Russia started its war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, numerous Ukrainian cultural sites, from churches to museums, have sustained varying degrees of damage.
Photo source: Alexey Acepovsky, Yuri Filonenko, Dmitry Moiseev
As of February 19, 2025, UNESCO verified damage to 485 sites since February 24, 2022, highlighting the ongoing impact of the conflict on the cultural heritage of Ukraine. Among the damaged sites are 149 religious sites, 249 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, 33 museums, 33 monuments, 18 libraries, 1 archive and 2 archaeological sites.
Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam
Located in Afghanistan, the Minaret of Jam, along with its archaeological remains, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2002. Minaret of Jam which not only serves as a significant cultural site but also contributes to the local economy is now facing severe threats from natural disasters. The severe flooding in the Jam Valley has significantly increased the risk of the Minaret of Jam collapsing, threatening one of the world’s cultural treasures.
“Flash floods threatened the Jam Minaret in 2016 and again in 2024, meaning twice,” Israel Haidari, the director of cultural affairs at Ghor’s information and culture department, told Xinhua.
Photo source: AhmadElhan, via Wikimedia Commons
Rainforests of the Atsinanana
UNESCO placed the Atsinanana rainforest in Madagascar, which comprises six national parks distributed along the eastern part of the island, on its list of World Heritage in Danger sites because of the threat to the many unique species inhabiting them, especially primates and lemurs.
The threat arises from illegal logging, poaching, and the illicit demand for rosewood, endangering its unique biodiversity.
“In adding this site to the danger list, we are calling for international action to halt illegal logging and to also ensure that no illegally logged precious woods from Madagascar enter national markets,” said Tim Badman, head of World Heritage at the IUCN.
Photo source: Our Place The World Heritage Collection
Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California
The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California, located in northeastern Mexico, are recognized for their ecological significance and biodiversity. It was inscribed on the list of World Heritage in danger in 2019. It is home to 695 vascular plant species, more than in any marine and insular property on the World Heritage List. The site also contains 39% of the world’s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world’s marine cetacean species.
Photo source: Michael Calderwood © UNESCO
Despite its ecological richness, the area faces constant threats to its biodiversity, primarily due to human activities like overfishing, illegal wildlife poaching, pollution, climate change, and unsustainable fishing practices.
Mali’s Timbuktu and Tomb of Askia
Timbuktu, known as the “City of 333 Saints,” is home to three historic mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore, and Sidi Yahia, as well as 16 cemeteries and mausoleums recognized by UNESCO.
The Tomb of Askia is an enduring testimony of the strength of the Songhai Empire and the Sahel mud-building tradition.
But there are fears that both Timbuktu and the 17th Century Tomb of Askia, which is in the city of Gao, could be under threat from groups of armed rebels who have overrun the ancient city this month, in the vacuum left by retreating Malian government forces.
Although continuously restored, these carefully preserved monuments have been placed on the United Nations list of sites in danger due to ongoing violence and security concerns.
Photo source: Francesco Bandarin © UNESCO / Thierry Joffroy © CRA-terre
Saint Hilarion Monastery/ Tell Umm Amer
The ruins of Saint Hilarion Monastery/ Tell Umm Amer represent one of the earliest monastic sites in the Middle East. This monastery disappeared after the earthquake in Gaza in the seventh century. It was later discovered by archaeologists in 1999. It was included in the list of World Watch Monuments in 2012.
This site was added to UNESCO’s endangered sites list in 2024 as a result of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israel has been carrying out a massive military offensive in Gaza following the unprecedented and multi-pronged attacks on Israeli cities by Hamas militants on October 7.
Photo source: UNESCO Ramallah Office
“This decision recognizes both the site’s value and the need to protect it from danger.
“In view of the threats to this heritage site posed by the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, the World Heritage Committee used the emergency inscription procedure provided for in the World Heritage Convention,” the UNESCO said in a statement.
Everglades National Park
For the second time, Florida’s Everglades National Park was added to the list of world heritage sites at risk in 2010. The site was said to be facing a range of climate hazards, including coastal flooding, tropical cyclones, extreme heat, drought and storm surges.
It was first placed on the list in 1993 following damage caused by Hurricane Andrew and a marked deterioration in water flows and quality resulting from agricultural and urban development. It was removed from the Danger List in 2007, in recognition of efforts to restore the Park and its wider ecosystem.
The Obama administration asked the committee to put the park, which contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the western hemisphere, the largest continuous stand of sawgrass prairie and the most significant breeding ground for wading birds in North America, back on the list.
Photo source: David Geldhof
These sites are not just historical landmarks, they hold the stories of our ancestors, our cultures, and our achievements. They are not just part of our past but are essential to our future. Global awareness, investment in conservation, and policies to combat climate change and protect cultural heritage are essential to tackle the threats these sites face.
