Venice, known as the “City of Canals,” is a captivating Italian destination renowned for its unique waterways and rich history. However, the city faces serious challenges due to damage caused by rising sea levels and the effects of climate change. Taking this into consideration, UNESCO wants Venice to be added to its ‘World Heritage Sites In Danger’ list.
UNESCO Wants Venice On Its World Heritage Sites In Danger List
The United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, has warned that Venice should be included in the ‘World Heritage Sites In Danger’ list. In a report, UNESCO stated that the Italian city faces “irreversible damage” due to excessive tourism, overdevelopment, and rising sea levels resulting from climate change.
While the world celebrated Australia’s Great Barrier Reef being taken off UNESCO’s Danger List, the sad news of Venice taking its place is definitely not a good feeling.
The agency has urged the Italian government to prioritise addressing the long-standing issues in Venice. Currently, Venice is one of the 1,157 places designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO, reports NDTV.
In September, a committee consisting of 21 UNESCO member states will meet in Riyadh to review over 200 sites. They will decide which sites to add to the danger list, state the NDTV report.
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Why Does The Agency Deem The City To Be A Risk?
UNESCO stated that the Italian state’s proposed corrective measures are “currently insufficient and not detailed enough.” It also mentioned that Italy has not been communicating adequately since the 2021 Committee session when UNESCO threatened to blacklist Venice, reports NDTV.
As per the reports, the committee recommended putting Kyiv and Lviv in Ukraine on the danger list as well this year. A spokesperson for the Venice municipality informed Reuters that they will carefully read the proposed decision. The decision was published by the Center for UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, and discussed with the government.
The UN Agency also stated that urgent issues of the long-standing resolution were hindered by a lack of overall joint strategic vision. The vision for the long-term preservation of the property and low effectiveness of integrated coordinated management, reports NDTV.
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For years, Venice has grappled with the challenges of mass tourism due to its canals and cultural sites. During the 2019 Carnival, a staggering 193,000 people crowded into the historic centre on a single day.
To control visitor numbers, Venice planned to introduce a fee for day-trippers, but objections have caused delays in implementing the measure, reported NDTV.
Have you ever been to Venice? If so, what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments.
Cover image courtesy: Canva