This was a pitch to National Geographic who almost bought it. I think it's rather goo.
What do the pyramids of Egypt and the Grand Canyon of the Colorado have in common? Or Mont Saint-Michel and the Taj Mahal? They are among the cultural and natural properties on all continents whose splendor enriches our lives and whose disappearance would be a loss to humanity.
Military and civil conflicts, the growth of mass tourism and uncontrolled development continue to be among the facts threatening our common heritage. Our programs will call attention to these threats and focus the world's attention on the need for emergency conservation actions. With the help of UNESCO, we'll explore the 23 most endangered natural and cultural sites in the world.
We want to take the viewers to these threatened sites and show them how these places came to be so vital, what happened there and what can be done to preserve them.
Our journeys will take us to the fabled kingdom of Angkor in Cambodia to explore the remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th centuries. We'll travel to Timbuktu and learn about its history as an intellectual and spiritual capital in the 15th and 16th centuries. We'll learn about the Chimu kingdom of Peru, which reached its peak in the 15th century, before falling to the Incas.
From these places, we'll journey to a unique reminder of a vanished kingdom as we tour the Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin. We'll uncover the secrets of the Holy Land as we walk through Old Jerusalem to the Wailing Wall. We'll lead our viewers to the ruins of an immense fort at the once fabled Oasis of Bahla, Oman. We'll see how the loss of history can be turned around through concerted action when we go to the natural harbor on the Adriatic coast in Yugoslavia. Its large number of monuments were damaged by an earthquake in 1979 but the town has been restored.
We'll tell the story of each of these fascinating and important sites with a mix of original, acquired and archival footage, re-enactments and interviews with experts and laypeople.
Our stories will help focus the world's attention on the dangers our heritage faces and show what can be done to save our common history.
Endangered History
WORLD HERITAGE IN DANGER
AFRICA:
BENIN
Royal Palaces of Abomey
From 1625 to 1900 twelve kings succeeded one another at the head of the powerful Kingdom of Abomey. With the exception of King Akaba, who used a separate enclosure, they each had their palaces built within the same cob-wall area, in keeping with previous palaces as regards the use of space and materials. The royal palaces of Abomey are a unique reminder of this vanished kingdom.
THREATS: The royal enclosure and museums were damaged extensively in a tornado in 1984. Failure to improve oversight will lead to further degradation.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Manovo-Gounda Saint Floris National Park
The importance of this park rests with its wealth of flora and fauna. Its vast savannahs provide shelter for a wide variety of species: black rhinoceroses, elephants, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, red-fronted gazelles and buffaloes, while different types of waterfowl are to be found in the northern floodplains.
THREATS: Illegal grazing and poaching by heavily armed hunters have harvested as much as 80% of the park’s wildlife. Deteriorating security and the death of four park staff in early 1997 has brought all development projects and tourism to a halt.
COTE D'IVOIRE
Mount Nimba Nature Reserve
Located between Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, Mount Nimba rises above the surrounding savannah. Its slopes, covered by dense forest at the foot of grassy mountain pastures, harbor an especially rich flora and fauna, with endemic species such as the viviparous toad and chimpanzees that use stones as tools.
THREATS: The arrival of a large number of refugees and a proposed iron ore mining project pose a threat to the water quality in the region and to integrated rural development.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Virunga National Park
The park of Virunga offers within its 790,000 hectares an incomparable diversity of habitats: from swamps and steppes to the snowfields of Rwenzori at an altitude of over 5,000 m, and from the lava plains to the savannahs on the slopes of the volcanoes. Some 20,000 hippopotamuses live in its rivers, mountain gorillas find refuge there and birds from Siberia spend the winter there.
THREATS: The effects of war in neighboring Rwanda brought a massive influx of refugees, causing deforestation and poaching at the site.
Garamba National Park
Immense savannahs, grasslands or woodlands, interspersed with gallery forests along the riverbanks and the swampy depressions, protect four large mammals: the elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus and above all the white rhinoceros. Much larger than the black rhino, it is harmless, and only some thirty individuals remain.
THREATS: Poaching in the Park and throughout the geographical range of the species has threatened its survival.
Kahuzi-Biega National Park
A vast area of primary tropical forest dominated by two spectacular extinct volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biega, the park is populated with a diverse and abundant fauna. One of the last groups of mountain gorillas (consisting only of about 250 individuals) lives between 2,100 and 2,400 m above sea level.
THREATS: Portion of the park have been deforested and hunting has been reported. Park facilities have been looted and destroyed and most of the park staff has left the area. The park may also be serving as a hideout for militant groups.
Okapi Wildlife Reserve
The Okapi Faunal Reserve occupies about one fifth of the Ituri Forest in the northeast of Zaire. The Zaire River basin, of which the reserve and forest are a part, is one of the largest drainage systems in Africa and has yielded a large number of major evolutionary discoveries. The faunal reserve contains threatened species of primates and birds and about 5,000 of the estimated 30,000 okapi surviving in the wild. The reserve also contains dramatic scenic values including waterfalls on the Ituri and Epulu rivers. The reserve is of special interest for its cultural values, as it is inhabited by traditional nomadic pygmy Mbuti and Efe hunters.
THREATS: Armed conflict has led to the looting of the facilities and the killing of elephants. Most of the staff has fled and there are reports of gold mining within the park.
Salonga National Park
The largest tropical rainforest reserve, at the heart of the central river basin of the Zaire River, Salonga National Park is very isolated and accessible only by water. It is the habitat of many endemic endangered species, such as the dwarf chimpanzee and the Zaire peacock, the forest elephant and the African Slender-snouted or “false” crocodile.
THREATS: Poaching and destruction by fire and tree cutting for firewood. Forestry is the principal problem, heavy machinery forces logging routes through the forest.
ETHIOPIA
Simen National Park
Massive erosion over the years on the Ethiopian plateau has created one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, with jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and sharp precipices as deep as 1,500 m. The park is the refuge of extremely rare animals such as the Gelada baboon, the Simen fox and the Walia ibex, a goat found nowhere else in the world.
THREATS: Recent deterioration of the population of the Walia ibex. Other large mammals characteristic of the site have become extremely rare. Road construction and human population increase further threaten the site.
MALI
Timbuktu
Home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University and other médersas, Timbuktu was in the 15th and 16th centuries an intellectual and spiritual capital and a center for the expansion of Islam throughout Africa. Its three great mosques, the Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, speak of Timbuktu's Golden Age. Although restored in the 16th century, these monuments are today threatened by the encroachment of sand.
THREATS: Sand encroachment is the major threat to this site.
NIGER
Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves
This is the largest protected area in Africa, covering some 7.7 million hectares. The area considered as a protected sanctuary is only one- sixth of the total area. It includes the volcanic rock mass of the Aïr, a small Sahelian pocket, isolated as regards its climate and flora and fauna in the Saharan desert of Ténéré. The reserve boasts an outstanding variety of landscapes, plant species and wild animals.
THREATS: Poaching and successive droughts pose a major threat to wildlife populations, causing competition for grazing land with domestic animals.
TUNISIA
Ichkeul National Park
The Ichkeul lake and wetland are a stopover point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, such as ducks, geese, storks, pink flamingoes, among others, who come to feed and nest there. The lake is the last one remaining in a chain of lakes which once extended across northern Africa.
THREATS: The construction of three dams on rivers supplying Lake Ichkeul and its marshes has cut off almost all inflow of fresh water, causing a dramatic increase in the salinity of the lake and marshes, resulting in a sharp reduction in the migratory bird populations dependent on the former habitat.
AMERICAS:
ECUADOR
Sangay National Park
With its outstanding natural beauty and its two active volcanoes, the park illustrates the entire spectrum of ecosystems, ranging in altitude from tropical rainforests to glaciers, with striking contrasts between the snowcapped peaks and the forests of the plains. Its isolation provides protection to the indigenous species found there, such as the mountain tapir and the Andean condor.
THREATS: Heavy poaching of wildlife, illegal livestock grazing, encroachment and unplanned road construction are the main threats. Construction of roads may have caused irreversible damage to the natural environment.
HONDURAS
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve
Located in the watershed of the Rio Platano, the reserve is one of the few remains of a humid tropical forest in Central America and contains abundant and varied plant and wildlife. In its mountainous landscape sloping down to the Caribbean coast over 2,000 indigenous people continue to live their traditional lifestyles.
THREATS: Commercial and agricultural intrusions into the site, the uncontrolled hunting of wild animals and the introduction on exotic species threaten to undermine the complex ecosystem of the Reserve.
PERU
Chan Chan Archaeological Zone
The Chimu kingdom, of which Chan Chan was the capital, reached its peak in the 15th century, not long before falling under the Incas. The planning of this huge city, the biggest in pre-Colombian America, reflects a strict political and social strategy, marked by its division into nine "citadels" or "palaces" forming independent units.
THREATS: The adobe, or earthen, structures are quickly damaged by natural erosion as they become exposed to air and rain and they require continuous conservation efforts.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Yellowstone
In a vast natural forest in Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park covers more than 9,000 square kilometers. An impressive collection of geothermal phenomena can be observed there, including more than 3,000 geysers, fumaroles and hot springs. Established in 1872, Yellowstone is equally known for its wildlife, such as grizzly bears, wolves, bison and wapiti.
THREATS: The potential impact of mining operations on the watershed ecology of the Yellowstone River is a concern. Other issues are the impact of sewage leakage and waste contamination, the illegal introduction of non-native lake trout, road construction and year-round visitor pressure.
Everglades National Park
This site at the southern tip of Florida has been called "a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea". The exceptional variety of its water habitats has made it a sanctuary for a considerable number of birds and reptiles, as well as for threatened species such as the manatee.
THREATS: Urban development, pollution from fertilizers, mercury poisoning of fish and wildlife, and a fall in water levels due to flood protection measures pose serious threats to the site. In addition, Hurricane Andrew in 1992 altered much of Florida Bay and its ecological systems.
SOUTHEAST ASIA/INDIA:
CAMBODIA
Angkor
Angkor is one of the main archaeological sites of South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 square kilometers, including forested area, the Angkor Archeological Park contains the splendid remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th centuries, including the famous temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon temple with its countless sculpted decorations.
THREATS: Looting and vandalism, combined with neglect and nature and threaten the splendor of Angkor.
INDIA
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
On a gentle slope in the foothills of the Himalayas, where wooded hills give way to alluvial grasslands and tropical forests, the Manas sanctuary is home to a great variety of wildlife, including many endangered species, such as the tiger, the pygmy hog, and the Indian rhinoceros and elephant.
THREATS: Militant activity in and around the park led to extensive damage to the park infrastructure. Political instability seems to have led to an increase in poaching and a decrease in several species of wildlife populations, particularly the one-horned rhino.
Group of Monuments at Hampi
Hampi, austere and grandiose, is the site of the last capital of the last great Hindu kingdom of Vijayayagar, whose extremely rich princes built Dravidian temples and palaces which won the admiration of travelers between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered by the Moslems in 1565, the city was pillaged over a period of six months, and then abandoned.
EUROPE:
ALBANIA
Butrinti
Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrinti has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city, and a bishopric. Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, then a brief occupation by the Venetians, the city was abandoned in the late Middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of the ruins representing each period in the city's development.
THREATS: Looting of the museum during civil disturbances in the country in early 1997, and a continued lack of adequate protection, management and conservation of the site.
BULGARIA
Srebarna Nature Reserve
The Srebarna Nature Reserve is a fresh-water lake adjacent to the Danube, extending over 600 hectares. It is the breeding home of close to 100 species of birds, many of which are rare or endangered. Some 80 other bird species migrate and seek refuge there every winter.
THREATS: The progressive destruction of the fresh-water habitat of the bird populations. A series of upstream interferences have permanently altered the hydrology of this site. Agricultural and residential use of the surrounding areas has impacted the wetlands, leading to the decline or disappearance of water and passerine bird populations.
YUGOSLAVIA
Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor
This natural harbor on the Adriatic coast in Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial center with famous masonry and iconography schools in the Middle Ages. A large number of its monuments, among which four Romanesque churches and the town walls, were heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1979 but the town has been restored.
THREATS: A major earthquake in 1979 razed many villages to the ground. Kotor and other towns of the coast were almost entirely evacuated as a result of the extensive structural damage to building stock of these towns.
MIDDLE EAST:
JERUSALEM
Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls
As the holy city for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Jerusalem has always had a high symbolic value. Among the 220 historic monuments, is the stunning Dome of the Rock, built in the 7th century and decorated with beautiful geometric and floral motifs. It is recognized by all three religions as the site of Abraham's sacrifice. The Wailing Wall delimits the quarters of the different religious communities whilst the Resurrection Rotunda protects Christ's tomb.
THREATS: The destruction of religious properties, threats of destruction due to urban development plans, deterioration of monuments due to lack of maintenance and responsible management, as well as of the disastrous impact of tourism on the protection of the monuments.
OMAN
Bahla Fort
The Oasis of Bahla owes its prosperity to the Banu Nebhan, which dominated other tribes in the area from the 12th to the end of the 15th century. The ruins of the immense fort, with walls and towers of earthen brick and foundations of stone, provides a remarkable example of this type of fortification and attests to the power of the Banu Nebhan.
THREATS: The absence of appropriate conservation measures allowed substantial portions of the wall to collapse each year after the rainy season. Since 1988, some headway has been made in halting this deterioration, but more needs to be done.
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