According to the World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate report, released last week by UNESCO, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), 31 natural and cultural World Heritage sites in 29 countries are becoming increasingly vulnerable to a host of climate change impacts such as increasing temperatures, rising seas and intensifying weather events.
The research underscores the importance of the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rise to a level well below 2C to protect our ancient treasures for current and future generations.
But which archaeological icon is at risk of being destroyed by land-gobbling sea level rise? And which global cultural hotspot could be left in ruins by an unforgiving superstorm?
Think you know your Galapagos Islands from your Cape Floral Kingdom? Take a look at the 10 Sites below and click to reveal which environmental danger they are most vulnerable to…