World Heritage Convention preserves and restores historic sites worldwide

The World Heritage Convention is a useful instrument for concrete action in preserving threatened sites and endangered species. If a site is recognized as endangered, the World Heritage Committee can act quickly. Often, the Committee and states, with UNESCO experts and other partners, find solutions before a given situation deteriorates to an extent that would damage the site. Some examples of such action:

  • The Giza Pyramids in Egypt were threatened in 1995 by a highway project. Negotiations with the Egyptian Government resulted in alternative solutions for the disputed project.

  • Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal protects about 400 greater one-horned rhinoceros. The Committee’s questioning of an environmental impact assessment of the proposed Rapti River Diversion Project led to a reassessment and the project was abandoned.

  • The Archaeological site of Delphi in Greece was nominated in 1987, at a time when plans were underway to build an aluminium plant nearby the site; the Greek Government was able to find another location for the plant.

  • Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino in Mexico The last pristine reproduction lagoon for the Pacific grey whale was threatened by plans to enlarge an existing salt factory. Campaigning by the World Heritage community led the Mexican government to refuse permission for the saltworks in 2000.

Successful restorations include:

  • Angkor, Cambodia Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. In 1993, UNESCO embarked on an ambitious plan to safeguard and develop the site. In 2004, recognizing that the site was no longer threatened by illicit excavation, pillaging, and landmines, the Committee removed the site from the endangered list in 2004.

  • The Old City of Dubrovnik in Croatia After its centuries-old Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings were damaged by artillery fire late in 1991, the city was included on the List of World Heritage in Danger. With UNESCO’s help, the Croatian Government restored the facades of the Franciscan and Dominican cloisters, repaired roofs and rebuilt palaces. The city was removed from the endangered list in December 1998.

  • The Wieliczka Salt Mine, near Cracow in Poland has been actively worked since the 13th century and became a World Heritage Site in 1978. But within its galleries, famous works of art sculpted in salt were threatened by humidity from artificial ventilation installed in the 19th century and the site was listed as endangered in 1989. Poland and the international community installed an efficient dehumidifying system, and the site was removed from the endangered list in December 1998.

  • Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the United Republic of Tanzania This huge crater with the world’s largest concentration of wild animals was listed as endangered in 1984 because of overall deterioration due to lack of management. Continuous monitoring and technical cooperation enabled the site to be removed from the endangered list by 1989.

This story is abridged from Success Stories in World Heritage on the UNESCO website. There are 851 sites on the World Heritage List, and 30 sites currently are on the World Heritage in Danger list.

 


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