Tom Howarth is a Newsweek reporter based in Bristol, U.K. His focus is reporting on nature and science. He covers climate change, biodiversity, extreme weather, zoonotic diseases and more. Tom joined Newsweek in August 2024 from BBC Science Focus and has previously worked at the European Southern Observatory. He is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, where he obtained a master’s degree in advanced chemical engineering. You can get in touch with Tom by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
A recent analysis has identified some of the world’s most iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites as being at significant risk from climate-related threats, including 21 in the United States.
Conducted by climate risk analytics firm Climate X, the report highlights the vulnerability of 500 UNESCO sites worldwide, with a focus on those most at risk by 2050 if urgent action is not taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the analysis, the Everglades National Park in Florida is the most threatened site in the United States, facing a range of climate hazards, including coastal flooding, tropical cyclones, extreme heat, drought and storm surges.
Washington’s Olympic National Park is also among the top 50 most at-risk sites because of the dangers posed by river and surface flooding, as well as landslides.
“The potential impact of climate change on these sites is profound. But it’s not just our past heritage that’s at risk—it’s our present, too,” Lukky Ahmed, CEO and co-founder of Climate X, said in a statement.
Globally, the Sansa, a collection of ancient Buddhist mountain monasteries on the Korean Peninsula, topped the list of sites most vulnerable to climate change. The report identified river and surface flooding as the primary threats to these monasteries, some of which date back to the seventh century.
Other high-risk sites include Australia’s Sydney Opera House, Indonesia’s Cultural Landscape of Bali, China’s West Lake Cultural Landscape in Hangzhou and Norway’s West Norwegian Fjords
“While the loss of these cultural treasures—many of which have endured for millennia—would of course be devastating, it’s also vital to remember the real societal and economic impact of climate change is happening in the here and now,” Ahmed said.
Climate X’s co-founder, Kamil Kluza, echoed the urgency of the situation, telling Newsweek: “I think the message is that the risks are there and they need to be actively worked upon.
“That means investment budgets and putting money on the side for both climate adaptation as well as reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”
The report was generated using Climate X’s Spectra platform, which uses advanced algorithms to model the future likelihood of 16 different climate hazards—including extreme heat, tropical cyclones, and flooding—across eight warming scenarios over a 100-year horizon.
Each site was assigned a risk score, ranging from A (no risk) to F (high risk), based on the projected total loss percentages.
Sites in Africa, the Middle East and Latin American countries were excluded from the research because climate X does not yet have a policy in those regions. Other excluded sites were in an assessment that they were not at risk.
In total, UNESCO, the educational, clinical and cultural organization of the United Nations, 1,223 World Heritage sites, covering the entire world.
The United States is home to 26 World Heritage Sites, Yosemite, and Yellowstone National Parks.
In reaction to the report, the UNESCO World Heritage Center clarified to Newsweek that the organization did not concern itself in the investigation and has no data on the method used.
“UNESCO is in a position to comment at this stage,” the outlet said.
Ahmed concluded by calling on governments, conservationists and the network to prioritize coverage of those sites.
“Our findings serve as a clear caution for governments, conservationists and the global network to prioritize the protection of our planet, to maintain our old and active monuments and infrastructure existing, and to life now and in the future,” he said
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Tom Howarth is a Newsweek journalist founded in Bristol, UK, whose purpose is to report on nature and science. It covers climate change, biodiversity, excessive weather, zoonotic diseases, and more. Send an email to t. howarth@newsweek. com. languages: English.
Tom Howarth is a Newsweek journalist founded in Bristol, UK, whose purpose is to report on nature and science. It covers climate change, biodiversity, excessive weather, zoonotic diseases, and more. Send an email to t. howarth@newsweek. com. languages: English.