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last mo.

73% of Non-Marine UNESCO Sites Threatened by Water Extremes

The analysis projects high water stress at almost half of sites by mid-century in the absence of stronger water governance.

Le site des Ahwar (ici, en 2021) au sud de l’Irak, fait partie du patrimoine menacé par le manque d’eau.
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Overview

  • A joint WRI–UNESCO report finds that 73% of 1,172 non-marine World Heritage sites face severe water scarcity or flood risks.
  • Forty percent of sites are experiencing water scarcity, 33% are vulnerable to riverine flooding and 21% face alternating drought and flood conditions.
  • Without stronger intervention, the share of sites under high or very high water stress will rise from 40% today to 44% by 2050.
  • Regional hotspots such as the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and northern China are especially vulnerable, with sites like Iraq’s Ahwar and Victoria Falls suffering drought and Peru’s Chan-Chan and China’s Yellow Sea–Bohai sanctuaries prone to flooding.
  • Targeted measures— including wetland protection, reforestation and transboundary water agreements—can slow or reverse rising threats by treating water as a common good.