31 May 2016
Climate Change Threatens World Heritage Sites, Says UN Report
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According to a report published by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Union of Concerned Scientists, climate change threatens World Heritage sites.

The report, titled 'World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate,' provides an overview of the increasing vulnerability of World Heritage sites to climate impacts and the consequences for global tourism; examines the relationship between World Heritage and tourism, and how climate change is likely to exacerbate problems caused by unplanned tourism development; and explains the positive role that tourism can play in securing the future of World Heritage sites.

uneso_unep_ucs26 May 2016: According to a report published by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Union of Concerned Scientists, climate change threatens World Heritage sites. The report, titled ‘World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate,’ provides an overview of the increasing vulnerability of World Heritage sites to climate impacts and the consequences for global tourism, examines the relationship between World Heritage and tourism, and how climate change is likely to exacerbate problems caused by unplanned tourism development, and explains the positive role that tourism can play in securing the future of World Heritage sites.

The report’s objective is to provide up-to-date information for action on climate change, tourism and World Heritage following the adoption of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report, which underscores the importance of limiting global temperature rise to well below 2°C in order to protect World Heritage, uses 31 case studies from World Heritage sites in 29 countries to show how climate change can threaten their ‘outstanding universal value,’ as well as economies and communities that depend on tourism.

The report uses case studies from such sites as Venice, Stonehenge, the Galapagos Islands and Wadi Rum, which were chosen for their geographic representation, diversity of natural and cultural heritage, and importance for tourism. The report focuses on natural and cultural sites vulnerable to increasing temperatures, melting glaciers, rising seas, extreme weather events, droughts and longer wildfire seasons; explains that climate change could eventually lead to a loss of status of some World Heritage sites; and recommends that the World Heritage Committee consider the risk of prospective sites becoming degraded by climate change before adding them to the list of sites.

The report’s recommendations lay out priorities for the international community, governments, the tourism industry and site managers. The report recommends that the World Heritage Convention and its parties, inter alia: identify World Heritage sites most vulnerable to climate change and strengthen systems for continued assessment, monitoring and early warning of impacts; make climate vulnerability assessment part of the World Heritage site nomination and inscription process; address inadequate resourcing for site management and climate adaptation; include cultural heritage in climate vulnerability assessments and policy responses; and analyze archaeological data and cultural heritage to learn from past human responses to climatic change.

Regarding government policymakers and the tourism industry, the report recommends, inter alia: creating climate action strategies for tourism management and development at vulnerable sites; integrating climate impacts and preparedness into tourism planning; and implementing gender-responsive and participatory polices and action on climate change and tourism.

Regarding site management authorities, indigenous peoples and local communities, the report calls for, among other things: incorporating the latest climate science into World Heritage site management planning; ensuring that indigenous peoples and local communities are involved at all stages of tourism development; and establishing programmes to raise awareness among tourists, guides, site managers and local communities about the values and protection needs of World Heritage. [UNESCO Press Release] [Publication: World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate]

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