UNESCO has updated its List of World Heritage in Danger. Although intensive conservation efforts have saved the world's second-largest coral reef, more than a dozen sites continue to be at serious risk.
Image: picture-alliance/AA
Belize Barrier Reef no longer endangered
Great news: UNESCO removed a portion of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the world's second largest coral reef, from the List of World Heritage in Danger. The outstanding natural ecosystem off the coast of Belize was put on the list in 2009. Since then, the government has stepped up conservation efforts, setting "an example for the rest of the world," said Mechtild Rossler of UNESCO.
Image: imago/Danita Delimont
Dam threatens health of Lake Turkana
But there's also bad news: UNESCO newly listed Kenya's Lake Turkana National Parks as endangered due to concerns about a dam in neighboring Ethiopia, which is feared will disrupt the flow and ecosystem of Lake Turkana. The three national parks surrounding the lake are a stopping point for migratory birds, and a major breeding ground for crocodiles, hippopotamus and snakes.
Image: picture alliance/Bildagentur-online/Rossi
Dozens of endangered natural sites
There are more than 200 UNESCO Natural World Heritage sites around the globe; more than a dozen of them are endangered. The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park in the Central African Republic, for example, was added to the "in danger" list in 1997 following reports of illegal poaching. According to some reports, hunters may have harvested as much as 80 percent of the park's wildlife.
Image: picture-alliance/D. Moebus
Deadly fight to protect Congo's wildlife
Preserving natural heritage sites can be a dangerous job. In the Virunga National Park, more than 175 rangers and guards have lost their lives since 1996 while protecting wildlife against poachers and other armed groups. The park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo hosts exceptional biodiversity and is home to the iconic mountain gorillas. It was added to the endangered list in 1994.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Delay
The poaching problem
Global demand for ivory continues to be one of the main reasons why UNESCO considers natural reserves to be endangered. Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve, one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in Africa, was added to the list in 2014 because widespread poaching is decimating populations of elephants and rhinos.
Many of the endangered world heritage sites provide habitat for species that are threatened with extinction. Sumatran orangutans, for example, rely for their survival on three national parks collectively known as the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra. However, illegal logging and extensive agriculture, including for palm oil, are destroying their habitat.
Besides conserving biodiversity, UNESCO World Heritage also protects the livelihoods of local communities. More than 2,000 indigenous people have managed to preserve their traditional way of life in the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras. The reserve was removed from the endangered list in 2007, but added again in 2011 due to illegal logging. This is why locals are armed.
Image: imago/Jochen Tack
Stepping up conservation
UNESCO's mission is to provide emergency assistance and to encourage local governments and citizens to participate in conservation efforts. Despite ongoing threats to many natural sanctuaries, the program has also yielded several success stories. The Galapagos Archipelago, for example, was removed from the endangered list in 2010 after Ecuador's government stepped up conservation measures.
Since 1972, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified over 200 national parks and reserves that are considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
Once a year, the World Heritage Committee meets to update the list, paying special attention to endangered world heritage sites.
In 2018, the Committee removed the Belize Barrier Reef from the List of World Heritage in Danger, but added the Lake Turkana National Parks.
Worldwide, more than a dozen of these protected ecosystems are under threat by illegal poaching, extensive agriculture and a lack of conservation.
