Once the capital of the Mughal empire, Old Delhi is now under threat. Geo-information technology can reveal its previous form, function, and context, however, and so help preserve and bring it back to life.
Street market and the Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali, which was designated a world heritage site by Unesco in 1988. During the pandemic, the town was hard hit by illegal excavations and looting.
Giv/Wikipedia
The Covid-19 pandemic will long be remembered for the lockdowns it imposed and the millions of lives it stole. A recent Unesco report reveals that it has also took a large toll on world heritage sites.
Jollof rice (called Ceebu jën in Senegal according to the Wolof spelling). Photo Getty Images.
Ceef
Nigerians and Ghanaians have all claimed authorship of Jollof rice. But a new book points out that the “Senegality” of this dish is established by the reference to “Jolof”.
A drone image of part of the Angolan Highlands.
Mauro Lourenco
Designed to act as a call for ideas and projects by all of Genoa’s stakeholders, Rolli Lab seeks to enhance the World Heritage site’s impact on city’s cultural, social and economic activity.
A lifesize replica of a slave ship graces Project Marina.
Screenshot/YouTube/Presidency of Benin
A grand new memorial park walks a fine line - between teaching about slavery and becoming a tourist trap.
In the Sundarbans swamp, pneumatophores are upward growths of mangrove root systems that allow them to capture oxygen.
https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/pneumatophores-mangrove-forest-bed-green-moss-2130650117
Sara Ahmed, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune
On the border between India and Bangladesh, the Sundarbans suffer from overexploitation and rising sea levels. With a “Climate Wall” project, a virtual museum is raising awareness and increasing resiliency.
Environment ministers from both sides are determined not to see the Barrier Reef listed as in danger. The question is – why?
Rocca Calascio is a mountaintop fortress in the province of L'Aquila in Italy. It bears witness to the long relationship between humanity and mountains, and how natural landscapes are also culture ones.
UNESCO
Often thought of as eternal, mountains are vulnerable to climate change and tourism. To protect them, they should be recognised for their cultural values, not just their natural characteristics.
A family of African elephants walk through the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.
EPA-EFE/Jon Hrusa
Political and social instability in the country, as seen in frequent mass protests and xenophobia, threaten the flow of African tourists.
Switzerland’s Great Aletsch Glacier is 23km long and located in the World Heritage site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. It leads the list of glaciers in the European Alps in terms of length and size, yet since the mid-19th century, it has lost more than 25% of its volume.
Jo in Riederalp/Wikipedia
Rising temperatures and extreme weather pose an existential threat to many UNESCO World Heritage sites, but widespread discussion is needed for meaningful change.
Chiribiquete National Natural Park and the Serranía de la Lindosa buffer zone feature many flat-topped mountains known as Tepuyes.
Unesco
Local communities and national authorities are working to develop sustainable tourism in Colombia’s Chiribiquete National Natural Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2018.
The Osun River has become turbid and unsafe for consumption - threatening its cultural and biodiversity significance. Photo by: Stefan Heunis/AFP via Getty Images.
from www,gettyimages.com
The ability of the Osun River to support biodiversity is being threatened by pollution and can only be rescued if the contamination ends.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial, known as the Genbaku Dome, was one of the few surviving structures after the city was hit by an atomic bomb in 1945. Its ruins bear witness to the 140,000 people who died, and spreads the message of “no more Hiroshimas”.
Metrotrekker
World heritage sites play an essential role in advancing Unesco’s goals, but more foresight is needed to imagine and enable promising strategies that address the needs of future generations.
The Market Gardeners’ District in Bamberg is made up of several hectares of land encircled by densely built small houses of a distinct style.
Unesco
Urban farming is an ancient tradition in Bamberg, and the gardeners’ district is an integral part of the World Heritage City, growing food, promoting sustainability and fighting climate change.
The Monument of the African Renaissance sits on a volcanic hill overlooking Dakar.
Photo by Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images
Tasmania’s drying climate is seeing more bushfires ignited by lightning strikes. To protect the state’s World Heritage wilderness, we must use sustainable fire management practices.
Paul Hardisty, Australian Institute of Marine Science; David Mead, Australian Institute of Marine Science, and Rob Vertessy, The University of Melbourne
Coral in the Great Barrier Reef is once again bleaching, with water temperatures up to 3℃ higher than normal in some places.
Senior Lecturer in Architectural HIstory and Theory, UNSW & Honorary Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Architectural History, Urban and Cultural Heritage (ACAHUCH), UNSW Sydney