UNESCO Experts Recommend Adding Venice to World Heritage in Danger List

Shafaq News/ UNESCO experts have proposed adding Venice of Italy and its lagoon to the list of World Heritage in Danger, citing inadequate measures by Italy to safeguard the city from climate change and mass tourism impacts.

UNESCO's World Heritage Centre conducts periodic assessments of its 1,157 designated sites.

In a meeting scheduled for September in Riyadh, a committee of 21 UNESCO member states will review over 200 sites and determine which ones should be added to the danger list.

The experts recommend Nearly ten sites for inclusion on the danger list, including the historic centre of Odessa, Ukraine, the town of Timbuktu in Mali, and various locations in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. Kyiv and Lviv in Ukraine are also suggested to be added this year.

UNESCO expressed concerns about the lack of an overall joint strategic vision and the effectiveness of integrated coordinated management at all levels of stakeholders in Venice.

The corrective measures proposed by the Italian state were deemed "insufficient and not detailed enough." UNESCO criticized Italy's lack of sustained and substantive communication since the last committee session in 2021, when Venice had already faced the threat of blacklisting.

In response, UNESCO hopes that adding Venice to the danger list will prompt more remarkable dedication and mobilization from local and national stakeholders to address long-standing issues.

A spokesperson for the Venice municipality told Reuters that they would carefully review the proposed decision and discuss it with the government.

Venice has long grappled with the challenges posed by mass tourism. For instance, during the 2019 Carnival, a staggering 193,000 people crowded into the historic center on a single day. The city has been considering introducing a fee for day-trippers to control visitor numbers, but the plan has been delayed due to objections.