The UN cultural agency UNESCO has announced that Venice should be included in the list of World Heritage in Danger, BBC writes.
Rising sea levels are threatening the legendary Italian city, as well as massive tourist crowds, overdevelopment, and climate change, according to a UNESCO report.
UNESCO blames the Italian government for a lack of strategic vision that has prevented it from addressing the problems
facing one of Italy’s most picturesque cities. It is a blow to the authorities, who have been accused of failing to protect the historic city and its adjacent lagoon. Meanwhile, one of Venice’s former mayors, Massimo Cacciari, called UNESCO one of the most expensive and useless organizations on earth. The former mayor added that Venice does not need UNESCO to be a cultural heritage.
Two years ago, UNESCO proposed the inclusion of Venice in the list of endangered sites, but emergency measures adopted by the Italian government forced this decision to be canceled at the last minute.
The measures included a ban on large ships, such as cruise ships, from entering the San Marco Canal.
A city conservation plan was also promised. Large ships are now no longer allowed to enter the canal. Meanwhile, the plan to save the city has not been implemented.
Global warming is affecting sea levels, and Venice, surrounded by water, is at risk of flooding. In addition, Venice is visited annually by about 28 million tourists. This leads to more and more development projects that harm the city.
UNESCO has listed 55 sites in the world as endangered, and another 204 are being closely monitored. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef narrowly avoided being on the endangered list this year. Next year, UNESCO will again assess the Australian government’s achievements.
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