Half of all World Heritage Sites are threatened by human-related activities

Half of all World Heritage Sites are threatened by human-related activities

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with its multi-coloured biodiversity, Madagascar’s rainforests with their lemurs, Tanzania’s natural reserves, and Szechuan giant panda sanctuaries in China. These and many others natural and cultural treasures are at risk due to human-related economic activities. A report carried out by WWF shows that at least 114 out of 229 World Heritage

Unesco supports world heritage sites with hashtags and books

Unesco supports world heritage sites with hashtags and books

Now that the hashtags and social networks are so important for communication that, in order to promote the landscape, architectural and cultural heritage, it’s necessary to improve the communication strategies and explore alternative languages making an effort to combine the benefits of traditional paper media and less conventional forms of media involvement.   Unesco thoroughly pursued this

Palmyra and ISIS: yesterday, today and tomorrow

Palmyra and ISIS: yesterday, today and tomorrow

Syrian regime forces have regained control of the city of Palmyra, ten months after its capture by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). The Islamist militants were driven out of the ancient site on the 27th of March following three weeks of intensive military operations backed by Russian air strikes and Lebanese militias.   During its

The restoration of Timbuktu’s mausoleums turns a page in Mali’s history

The restoration of Timbuktu’s mausoleums turns a page in Mali’s history

14 mausoleums in Timbuktu, one of Mali’s most famous cities, Northern Africa, have been restored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after their destruction by Islamic extremists in 2012. The mausoleums have been inaugurated on 19 July by UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, and Mali’s Minister of Culture, Handicraft and Tourism Ramatoulaye

Protecting culture and nature: how World Heritage Sites are chosen

Protecting culture and nature: how World Heritage Sites are chosen

It all started in the summer of 1954, when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) launched an international campaign to rescue the twin Abu Simbel temples in Egypt, threatened by the construction of a dam. The $80 million operation was such a success that it paved the way for world heritage protection