Climate change is threatening one of six monuments and one of three spaces declared World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), which was declared this Monday to mark the International Day of Monuments and Sites.
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This climatological factor, present on all continents, is currently destroying many of the sites declared World Heritage, which is why UNESCO has proposed to reflect on “Heritage and Climate” this year.
“Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time and one of the greatest threats to UNESCO World Heritage, cultural and natural sites,” says the organization’s official website.
It also said that currently many of the heritage sites are “at risk from wildfires, flooding, storms and massive bleaching”.
UNESCO emphasizes the importance of building the resilience of nations and communities hosting cultural heritage sites and affected by climatological phenomena to help them cope with events and embrace recovery.
Thus, according to the International Council of Monuments page, it brings “climate justice and heritage justice and the ways we can achieve the equitable protection of vulnerable communities through climate action” on the dialogue table.
This year’s theme is also part of the Sustainable Development Goals for climate action, life below water and life on land.
Places threatened by climate change include Easter Island, which is being eroded by rising sea levels, and Venice, which is going through a similar situation.