Over 200 of the world's most significant cultural heritage sites are at risk and in need of immediate intervention to stem irreparable loss and destruction, says a new report, Saving Our Vanishing Heritage.
These damages can cost developing nations over $100 billion in lost revenue. The years spanning 2000 to 2009 have been highly destructive—one of the most damaging decades in recent history except for periods of major war and conflict, the report says. Five manmade threats are the cause of 90 percent of the loss and destruction of global heritage sites.
Saving Our Vanishing Heritage was conceived by Global Heritage Fund, an international conservancy that has worked for nearly a decade to protect and preserve the most significant and endangered cultural heritage sites in the developing world. The report can be downloaded (PDF) from the GHF website.
The report argues that skyrocketing international and domestic mass tourism is one of the most destructive forces facing our global heritage sites, and few developing countries are equipped to manage the numbers.
There is hope, however. The global community, the report says, can reverse this escalating crisis through satellite-based site monitoring, proper planning and training, performance-based management, scientific conservation, community-based development, and private-public partnerships—all within our reach and requiring minimal investment.
By 2025, global heritage sites can be a $100 billion a year opportunity for developing countries if a worldwide effort is made for their preservation and responsible development. Over 50 global heritage sites today each have annual revenues of over $100 million, up from a fraction of that number 20 years ago. Worldwide tourism to global heritage sites is increasing 8 to 12 percent per year on average.
The report identifies five primary threats to humanity’s cultural heritage in developing countries: development pressures, unsustainable tourism, insufficient management, looting, and war and conflict.
