A quarter of the natural sites classified as Unesco World Heritage are threatened by climate change. The alarm has been raised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (Iucn), in a report published during the days in which the twenty-third United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop 23) was held in Bonn.

According to a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a quarter of Unesco natural World Heritage sites are threatened by climate change ©Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Lake Edward, within Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ©Brent Stirton/Getty Images

Virunga Park represents an invaluable treasure of biodiversity in the heart of Africa ©Brent Stirton/Getty Images

Lake Turkana, in Kenya, is also among the Unesco World Heritage sites considered at risk due to climate change ©Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Likewise, the distinctive trees of the island of Socotra, in Yemen, are under threat ©Rod Waddington/Wikimedia Commons

A bird flies over Everglades National Park, in Florida ©oe Raedle/Getty Images

The Great Barrier Reef, in Australia, is already affected by climate change. Rising sea temperatures and progressive ocean acidification are the primary cause of coral bleaching ©Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, also features on the list of at-risk sites ©Chris Jackson/Getty Images

7% of Unesco natural sites are already in a critical state

The document, entitled "Iucn World Heritage Outlook 2", is an update of a similar study carried out in 2014. If at that time the number of natural sites considered at risk stood at 35 (out of a total of 228), the figure has now almost doubled: 62 out of 241 sites are now at risk of damage or even disappearing altogether. In particular, 17 sites (seven per cent of the total) are considered to be in a "critical state": these include Everglades National Park, in Florida (United States), as well as Lake Turkana in Kenya and Virunga Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"Such a vertiginous increase recorded in just three years – said Iucn Director General Inger Andersen – left us stunned. In the report, moreover, we highlight the fact that the number is likely to grow further." According to the international organisation, there are indeed over 50 sites already considered "potentially at risk": "Climate change – the director added – is fast-moving and spares none of our planet's treasures. This is why urgent and ambitious commitments are needed to implement the Paris Agreement", signed at the close of Cop 21 in December 2015.

From coral reefs to Kilimanjaro, via the Alps

Among the 62 sites considered at risk are the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the coastal region of Belize and the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles (the second largest in the world): all threatened by the phenomenon of coral bleaching, caused by rising ocean temperatures and increasing acidification. Also at risk are numerous glaciers, including those of Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania, and that of Jungfrau-Aletsch in the Swiss Alps. Sites hosting wetlands and river deltas could also be affected, while in other areas the sword of Damocles takes the form of a growing risk of wildfires.

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IUCN reports that climate change endangers one in four UN-listed natural heritage sites, including coral reefs, glaciers, and wetlands, and the number of UNESCO natural sites at risk has grown to 35 to 62 in just three years.

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The Iucn notes that the social consequences of any damage to or destruction of Unesco natural World Heritage sites could be devastating for local communities. Beyond their ecological and landscape value, there is also an economic one: for many populations, these sites represent a source of wealth described as "crucial" by the report. Tourism and infrastructure development could also be among the casualties.