Scientists have warned that extreme weather events such as hurricanes, droughts, floods and heat waves have become more frequent and more intense as a result of rising temperatures, AFP reported.
73% of all 1,172 non-marine sites on the UNESCO heritage list are exposed to at least one serious water risk, including water stress, drought, river flooding and coastal flooding, UNESCO said.
“Water stress is projected to intensify, especially in regions such as the Middle East, North Africa, parts of South Asia, and northern China. It poses long-term risks to ecosystems, cultural heritage, and the communities and tourism economies that depend on them,” he added.
Cultural locations were most commonly threatened by water scarcity, but more than half of natural locations face the risk of flooding from nearby rivers, UNESCO research shows.
In India, for example, the Taj Mahal monument in Agra said, “We are facing a lack of water that increases pollution and depletes groundwater.
MA/PR