World Heritage Site
In 1954, the government of Egypt decided to build the new Aswan High Dam. The resulting reservoir would eventually inundate a large stretch of the Nile valley containing cultural treasures of ancient Egypt and ancient Nubia. In 1959, the governments of Egypt and Sudan requested the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to assist them. They needed help to protect and rescue the endangered monuments and sites.
In 1960, the Director-General of UNESCO launched the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia. This resulted in the excavation and recording of hundreds of sites. It also led to the recovery of thousands of objects. Several important temples were salvaged and relocated to higher ground. The most famous of these are the temple complexes of Abu Simbel and Philae.
The campaign ended in 1980 and was considered a success. To thank countries which especially contributed to the campaign's success, Egypt donated four temples. The Temple of Dendur moved to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The Temple of Debod went to the Parque del Oeste in Madrid. The Temple of Taffeh arrived at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden. The Temple of Ellesyia found its home at Museo Egizio in Turin.
The project cost US$80 million. About $40 million of this sum was collected from 50 countries. The project's success led to other safeguarding campaigns. These included saving Venice and its lagoon in Italy. They also covered the ruins of Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan. The Borobodur Temple Compounds in Indonesia received protection as well.
The convention guiding the work of the World Heritage Committee was developed over a seven-year period between 1965 and 1972. The United States initiated the idea of safeguarding places of high cultural or natural importance. A White House conference in 1965 called for a World Heritage Trust. This trust aimed to preserve the world's superb natural and scenic areas and historic sites for the present and future of the entire world citizenry.
The International Union for Conservation Nature developed similar proposals in 1968. These were presented in 1972 at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. Under the World Heritage Committee, signatory countries are required to produce and submit periodic data reporting. This provides the committee with an overview of each participating nation's implementation of the World Heritage Convention.
A single text was eventually agreed upon by all parties. The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on the 16th of November 1972. The convention came into force on the 17th of December 1975. As of November 2024, it has been ratified by 196 states. This includes 192 UN member states and two UN observer states. Only one UN member state, Liechtenstein, has not ratified the convention.
Until 2004, there were six sets of criteria for cultural heritage and four for natural heritage. In 2005, UNESCO modified these and now has one set of ten criteria. Nominated sites must be of outstanding universal value. They must meet at least one of the ten criteria to be included on the list.
Cultural sites may represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. They might exhibit an important interchange of human values over time or within a cultural area. Some bear unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilization which is living or has disappeared. Others serve as outstanding examples of traditional human settlement or land-use representative of a culture.
Natural sites contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty. They are outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history. These include significant ongoing geological processes in the development of landforms. They also hold the most important natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity. Many contain threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
A site may be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger if conditions threaten the characteristics for which it was inscribed. Such problems involve armed conflict and war, natural disasters, pollution, poaching, or uncontrolled urbanisation. This danger list increases international awareness of threats and encourages counteractive measures.
Only three sites have ever been delisted entirely. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman was directly delisted in 2007. The Omani government decided to reduce the protected area's size by 90%. The Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany was removed from the World Heritage List in 2009. Plans to construct the Waldschlösschen Bridge significantly altered the valley's landscape despite court decisions allowing construction to proceed.
Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City in the United Kingdom lost its status in July 2021. Developments on the northern docks led to irreversible loss of historical attributes. The state of conservation for each site on the danger list is reviewed yearly. The Committee may delete the property from the danger list if threats cease. They can also consider deletion from the World Heritage List entirely if integrity no longer exists.
The World Heritage Committee has divided the world into five geographic regions. These include Africa, Arab states, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Russia and the Caucasus states are classified as European. Mexico and the Caribbean belong to the Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Europe and North America hold 46.47% of all sites. This totals 580 properties including 496 cultural and 72 natural sites. Asia and the Pacific follows with 306 total sites representing 24.52%. Latin America and the Caribbean contains 153 properties making up 12.26%. Africa holds 112 sites at 8.97%, while Arab states have 97 sites at 7.77%.
A total of 1,248 World Heritage Sites exist across 170 countries. Only 23 countries possess 15 or more sites. Gough Island located in the South Atlantic is part of the Europe and North America region because the British government nominated it. The UNESCO geographic regions give greater emphasis on administrative rather than geographic associations.
Being listed as a World Heritage Site can positively affect the site and its environment. A listed site gains international recognition and legal protection. It can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund to facilitate conservation under certain conditions. The local population around a site may benefit from significantly increased tourism revenue.
Several listed locations struggle to strike a balance between economic benefits and preserving original culture. Casco Viejo in Panama and Hội An in Vietnam face challenges catering to greatly increased visitor numbers. A large lobbying industry has grown around the awards. World Heritage listing can significantly increase tourism returns.
Site listing bids are often lengthy and costly. This puts poorer countries at a disadvantage. Eritrea's efforts to promote Asmara serve as one example. Anthropologist Jasper Chalcraft noted that World Heritage recognition often ignores contemporary local usage of certain sites. This leads to conflicts on the local level which can result in damage to the site.
The UNESCO-administered project has attracted criticism regarding perceived under-representation of heritage sites outside Europe. Disputed decisions on site selection cause further concern. Adverse impact of mass tourism affects sites unable to manage rapid growth in visitor numbers.
A major chunk of all world heritage inscriptions are located in regions whose populations generally have lighter skin. These include Europe, East Asia, and North America. Critics allege geographic bias, racism, and colourism in world heritage inscription. Eliot et al published research titled World heritage: Constructing a universal cultural order in 2012.
Rock art under world heritage protection at the Tadrart Acacus in Libya has occasionally been intentionally destroyed. Chalcraft links this destruction to Libyan national authorities prioritizing World Heritage status over local sensibilities. They limit access to the sites without consulting with the local population. Environmental groups argue that decisions like those regarding the Great Barrier Reef were victories for cynical lobbying rather than scientific assessment.
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Common questions
When was the World Heritage Convention adopted by UNESCO?
The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted on the 16th of November 1972. It came into force on the 17th of December 1975.
How many countries have ratified the World Heritage Convention as of November 2024?
As of November 2024, the convention has been ratified by 196 states including 192 UN member states and two UN observer states. Only one UN member state named Liechtenstein has not ratified the convention.
Which sites were delisted from the World Heritage List between 2007 and 2021?
Three sites have ever been delisted entirely including the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman which was removed in 2007. The Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany lost its status in 2009 and Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City in the United Kingdom lost its status in July 2021.
What are the five geographic regions used to classify World Heritage Sites?
The World Heritage Committee divides the world into Africa Arab states Asia and the Pacific Europe and North America and Latin America and the Caribbean. Russia and the Caucasus states are classified as European while Mexico and the Caribbean belong to the Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Why do critics allege bias exists within the World Heritage inscription process?
Critics allege that a major chunk of all world heritage inscriptions are located in regions whose populations generally have lighter skin such as Europe East Asia and North America. This perceived under-representation outside Europe leads to allegations of racism and colourism in site selection decisions.