Climate change imperils one in four natural heritage sites

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Climate change imperils one in four natural World Heritage sites, including coral reefs, glaciers, and wetlands – nearly double the number from just three years ago, a report said Monday.

The number of sites at risk has grown to 62 from 35 in 2014, when one in seven were listed, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which released the report at UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany.

Among the ecosystems most threatened by global warming are coral reefs which bleach as oceans heat up, and glaciers which melt.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world with 400 species of corals. In 1998 and 2002, major bleaching events occurred in the region. In 2002, between 60 percent and 95 percent of corals were affected. The corals of most of the reefs recovered well, but about five percent died./UNESCO Photo

"Climate change acts fast and is not sparing the finest treasures of our planet," said IUCN director general Inger Andersen. "It now threatens the very fabric of our society, threatens our identity, an identity that is grounded in the rich and yet delicate patchwork of natural heritage."

The report found that 29 percent of the World Heritage sites faced "significant" threats, and seven percent – including the Everglades National Park in the United States and Lake Turkana in Kenya – had a "critical" outlook.

"The scale and pace at which it (climate change) is damaging our natural heritage underline the need for urgent and ambitious national commitments and actions to implement the Paris Agreement," said Andersen.

Devastating

The IUCN monitors more than 200 natural Heritage Sites listed by the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Some people believe that the causes of the ancient Maya collapse were likely a combination of political troubles and severe climate effects including drought./UNESCO Photo

Three World Heritage-listed coral reefs – the Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean, the Belize Barrier Reef in the Atlantic, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the biggest on Earth – have been affected by "devastating" bleaching events over the last three years, said the IUCN report.

Corals "bleach" when they are stressed by environmental changes – due to ocean warming or pollution.

The corals expel the colorful algae that live in them, and turn bone white.

"Retreating glaciers, also resulting from rising temperatures, threaten sites such as Kilimanjaro National Park, which boasts Africa's highest peak, and the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, home to the largest Alpine glacier," said the union.

Wetlands, low-lying deltas, permafrost and fire-sensitive ecosystems are also affected by changes to Earth's climate, it added.

Venice has been sinking at a rate of about 10 cm per century as a result of natural subsidence – the rise of water level caused by delta propagation and the compactness of sediments./UNESCO Photo

Insufficient funding

Harm to natural sites endangers local economies and livelihoods, the IUCN said.

"In Peru's Huascaran National Park, for example, melting glaciers affect water supplies and contaminate water and soil due to the release of heavy metals previously trapped under ice."

Only invasive plant and animal species surpassed climate change as a risk to natural heritage sites, said the union. And climate change boosts their spread.

Sites on the World Heritage list are earmarked for protection for future generations.

Countries assume responsibility under the World Heritage Convention to protect listed sites within their borders.

The report said the management of heritage sites has declined since 2014, "notably due to insufficient funding."

Source(s): AFP