From War to Development: World Heritage Sites in Peril

Nearly Half Threatened by Armed Conflict: Six Sites in Syria and More

Dam Construction, Poaching, and Development Pressures Also to Be Reviewed

Delisting and New Additions to Be Discussed in Busan

The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, opening on July 19 at BEXCO in Busan, will spend significant time not only reviewing new inscription candidates but also assessing the conditions of existing World Heritage sites. During this session, the state of conservation of 147 already-inscribed sites will be reviewed. Sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger will be addressed under agenda item 7A, while other inscribed properties will be covered under agenda item 7B. Any updates to the Danger List itself will be discussed under agenda item 8C.

Palmyra ruins in Tadmor, Syria [UNESCO World Heritage Centre].

The List of World Heritage in Danger, established under Article 11, Paragraph 4 of the World Heritage Convention, was created to provide special management for properties exposed to specific and imminent threats or potential risks. For cultural heritage sites, the main criteria are serious structural damage or loss of historic authenticity; for natural heritage, criteria include sharp declines in endangered species populations, poaching, or developmental pressures.

Being listed is not considered a disgrace; rather, it provides a basis for receiving support from the World Heritage Fund, and serves as an occasion for the Committee to work with the country concerned to devise corrective action plans. Sites are removed from the list once the situation improves. Currently, 53 properties are listed: 14 natural sites and 39 cultural sites. By region, the Arab States have the highest number with 22, followed by Africa with 12, Europe and North America with 7, and both Latin America & the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific with 6 each.

Reviewing the list, almost half the sites are threatened by armed conflict or political instability. In particular, six sites in Syria have been designated: the Ancient Cities of Aleppo, Bosra, Damascus, the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din, as well as the Palmyra ruins. After the outbreak of civil war in 2011, damage from fighting, bombings, and looting was confirmed at these locations, leading to their collective designation in 2013. Notably, the Palmyra ruins suffered the destruction of temples during the period of occupation by IS.

In Yemen, four sites are in danger. The Historic Town of Zabid has seen its traditional houses replaced by concrete buildings, damaging its identity, while the Old City of Sana’a and the Old Walled City of Shibam suffered destruction of their traditional houses due to bombings during the civil war. The Archaeological Site of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, designated in 2023, continues to face direct damage and management gaps caused by ongoing conflict.

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan [UNESCO World Heritage Centre].

In Libya, the archaeological sites of Cyrene, Leptis Magna, Sabratha, and the rock art site of Tadrart Acacus have faced looting, illegal construction, and a lack of management in the security vacuum following the 2011 civil war, leading to their joint listing on the Danger List in 2016. The Old Town of Ghadames, designated in the same year, was removed from the list last year following five years of conservation work.

In Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) is threatened by inundation due to nearby dam construction plans and poor management, while Hatra experienced intentional destruction during IS occupation and is still undergoing restoration. The Samarra Archaeological City has also been damaged by violence linked to sectarian conflict and looting.

Three sites in Palestine are in danger: the Old City of Hebron (Al-Khalil) has had buildings damaged by settlement expansion and conflict; the Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir, has faced threats to its terraced farmland from separation barrier construction since its inscription; and St. Hilarion Monastery (Tell Umm Amer) is directly threatened by armed conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls in Jordan was designated in 1982 due to concerns over loss of historic authenticity. The unresolved political status of Jerusalem remains a contributing factor. Lebanon’s Rachid Karami International Fair (Tripoli) was simultaneously inscribed on the World Heritage List and placed on the Danger List in 2023, due to poor management and financial difficulties.

Cerro Rico Mountain in Potosí, Bolivia [UNESCO World Heritage Centre].

Conflict is also a major threat in Africa. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Garamba, Kahuzi-Biega, Okapi, and Virunga National Parks have suffered severe losses of elephant and gorilla habitats due to civil war, armed group activities, and poaching. In Mali, the Tomb of Askia and Timbuktu were endangered after armed groups destroyed tombs and shrines in 2012. The Old Towns of Djenné have been neglected due to insecurity since 2016, leading to damage to building materials and challenges from urbanization.

The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park in the Central African Republic has lost 80% of its large wildlife due to civil war and heavily armed poachers, while Niger’s Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves have become virtually inaccessible and unmanaged due to the presence of armed groups. In Ukraine, the Historic Centre of Odesa was listed in January 2023, while St. Sophia Cathedral and related monastic buildings in Kyiv and the Historic Centre of Lviv followed in September of the same year, all due to risks from Russia's invasion and missile attacks.

Kenya’s Lake Turkana National Parks are at risk of drastic changes in lake level and ecosystem due to Ethiopia’s Gilgel Gibe III Dam construction, while Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve faces dual pressures from elephant poaching and deforestation caused by the construction of a large dam. The Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, shared by Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea, was threatened by international consortium plans for iron ore mining in 1992 and the large influx of refugees from Liberia.

Everglades National Park, USA [UNESCO World Heritage Centre].

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the archaeological site zone of Chan Chan in Peru was designated as a World Heritage in Danger from the start in 1986 due to heavy rains during the rainy season and the El Niño phenomenon. In Bolivia, Potosí is at risk of the Cerro Rico mountain itself collapsing due to uncontrollably extensive mining. Honduras’s Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve has been included on the list due to illegal logging, poaching, and unauthorized land occupation, while Mexico’s Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California have been listed because the vaquita porpoise is being caught as bycatch during illegal gillnet fishing for totoaba. Panama’s Fortifications on the Caribbean Side are threatened by environmental factors, poor management, and reckless urban expansion, while repeated torrential rains and floods have damaged the city of Coro and its port in Venezuela.

In the Asia-Pacific, two Afghan sites came under scrutiny. The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, destroyed in 2001 when the Taliban blew up large Buddha statues, and the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, threatened by the absence of management, civil war, looting, and river flooding, are both at risk. Indonesia’s Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra has seen habitats greatly reduced due to illegal logging, farmland conversion, and poaching. In the Federated States of Micronesia, Nan Madol has faced excessive mangrove growth and rising sea levels linked to canal sedimentation, while East Rennell in the Solomon Islands is challenged by the limited management capacities of indigenous communities. Uzbekistan’s Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz has been deemed at risk because of excessive development of tourism infrastructure, undermining the authenticity of the property.

In Europe and North America, the main threat is developmental pressure. The Historic Centre of Vienna in Austria is on the list due to plans for high-rise hotels near the old city, which threaten to alter the skyline, and Romania’s Roșia Montană Mining Landscape raises concerns that large-scale open-pit gold mining could resume. The Medieval Monuments in Kosovo, over which Serbia claims jurisdiction, face difficulties in management and monitoring due to political instability. Everglades National Park in the United States has been relisted because of water quality degradation, shrinking wetlands, and the spread of invasive species like Burmese pythons.

Virunga, Democratic Republic of the Congo [UNESCO World Heritage Centre].

It remains uncertain how many sites will be removed from or added to the list during this session. However, as the World Heritage Committee has pushed for removals like Libya’s Ghadames and others at recent sessions, delisting of sites with verified improvements may be discussed. The final outcomes will be publicly released through the Committee’s official decision document after July 20, as the session progresses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.