UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Danger: UPSC Current Affairs

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