L’associazione ambientalista lancia un appello agli investitori affinché non finanzino più le attività estrattive pericolose per l’ambiente.
Protecting culture and nature: how World Heritage Sites are chosen
It all started in the summer of 1954, when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) launched an international campaign to rescue the twin Abu Simbel temples in Egypt, threatened by the construction of a dam. The $80 million operation was such a success that it paved the way for world heritage protection
It all started in the summer of 1954, when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) launched an international campaign to rescue the twin Abu Simbel temples in Egypt, threatened by the construction of a dam. The $80 million operation was such a success that it paved the way for world heritage protection for the next sixty years.
To this day 191 countries have signed the World Heritage Convention (an international agreement to safeguard natural and cultural heritage) and instituted the World Heritage Committee. This is a group of 21 elected states who, annually, choose which are the world’s wonders in most urgent need of protection. In 2015 its 39th session was hosted in Bonn, Germany, from 28 June to 8 July.
The Committee aims to “recognise and protect sites that are outstanding demonstrations of human coexistence with the land as well as human interactions, cultural coexistence, spirituality and creative expression”.
To do so, it defines the World Heritage List. The appeal of being included stems from its prestigious reputation, which results in high media attention and increased tourism, therefore extra income.
Today, the List includes 1,031 properties in 163 countries. To make it on there, each has undergone a multi-stage selection process to certify its conservation status.
Any State Party to the Convention can submit sites for nomination if they fulfill at least one of the 10 selection criteria. For instance, they can “represent a masterpiece of human creative genius”, “contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty”, or be “an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement”.
The country with “most heritage” is Italy, with 46 cultural and 4 natural sites. Paying a tribute to history, landscape and tradition, its 2015 nominations were Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale.
When, for manmade or natural reasons, sites are threatened, the Committee is also in charge of including them on the World Heritage in Danger List. Today, Syria is at the top of this List with 6 cultural sites endangered by the ongoing conflict. The Committee also allocates $4 million of the World Heritage Fund a year to the most threatened sites.
Whilst we wait to see what makes it on the list in 2016, the most adventurous travellers may try to catch a glimpse of Surtsey, a volcanic island in the south of Iceland. No one can access it, except scientists for research purposes, making it one of the most inaccessible and wildest World Heritage Sites.
Siamo anche su WhatsApp. Segui il canale ufficiale LifeGate per restare aggiornata, aggiornato sulle ultime notizie e sulle nostre attività.
Quest'opera è distribuita con Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale.
Korea national day: A view on a distant culture, full of history and ancient traditions.
L’obiettivo della giornata è di combattere il settore della droga che minaccia la salute dei cittadini e lo sviluppo dei paesi.
Peace, security, sustainable development, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. These key words are the goals the United Nations (UN) have been setting for 70 years, since the moment when 51 nations (later 193, i.e. all world’s independent countries, apart from Vatican City) autonomously decided to sign – on 26 June 1945 – the treaty that
Thanks to its pavilion and using technology and entertainment, Germany shows its policies aiming to protect the resources of the planet.
The Lax Kw’alaams live not far from Canada’s border with Alaska, in the northern part of the province of British Columbia. The indigenous community has turned down an offer of $1 billion (Canadian dollars) and lands worth $108 million, i.e. $320,000 for each of the group’s members, for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hub
L’obiettivo della giornata è di sensibilizzare l’opinione pubblica sui diritti dei migranti, persone in fuga dalla guerra e dalla povertà.
A new oven designed by Debesai Ghebrehiwet allows households to reduce fuel and firewood usage, improving health conditions and limiting deforestation.
For China National Day (8th June), there has been a parade of Chinese traditional symbols. Dances, colours and the topics dealt with have underlined the message with which the exposition of the China Pavilion is dripped. The attitude of thankfulness and respect of the resources that support the country and the hope that suggests the prospect of