The locations of some of the UNESCO world heritage sites that have been affected by climate change

THE climate is no respecter of beauty. Almost one in six of the UNESCO world heritage sites listed for their natural value are already being battered by the changing climate. This threatens their “outstanding universal values” – the features that qualify them for protection.

This week, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee met in Bonn, Germany, to decide whether the 35 affected sites were being properly managed, and if not, what should be done.

“There has been a rise in sea level and temperature. Floods and storm tides wash away bird nests”

Climate change is the most serious potential threat to other natural world heritage sites, too, says Tim Badman, director of IUCN’s World Heritage Programme. But, alleviating local pressures, such as logging, could increase the sites’ resilience.


“Few people are aware of the full scales of the damage being done as a result of climate change, including to some of our planet’s most spectacular natural areas,” says Inger Andersen, director general of the IUCN.

Here are some of the sites that are already feeling the heat.

1. Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina

(Image: Yadid Levy/Eyevine)

Most of this Andean park’s 47 glaciers are shrinking as the climate warms, and wildfires are becoming more frequent, changing habitats. These effects are compounded by introduced species such as cows, horses, sheep, dogs and cats – and humans, who are visiting the area in large numbers.

2. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

(Image: Tui De Roy/Minden Pictures)

The geology and unique wildlife of these 19 islands inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. Warming waters have already killed half the coral reefs here and interrupted natural food chains. On land, the higher temperatures are favouring introduced species. A growing human population and hordes of tourists are also a threat.

3. Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

(Image: Patricio Robles Gil/ Sierra Madre/Minden Pictures)

Every autumn, millions of monarch butterflies fly southwards to this site, turning trees orange and bending branches under their weight. But their numbers plummeted to a 20-year low in the 2013-2014 season, threatening the reserve’s status. Monarchs face extreme weather throughout their range, and fires and storms are toppling trees, aggravating the effects of commercial logging.

4. Wadden Sea, Germany

(Image: Frans Lanting/National Geographic Creative)

This is one of the last remaining large intertidal ecosystems. It hosts tidal channels, seagrass meadows, mussel beds, salt marsh estuaries, beaches and dunes. Humans have altered much of the coastline, though, lowering the site’s resilience to climate change. There has been a rise in sea level and temperature, as well as in flooding of sandbanks and salt marshes. Floods and storm tides wash away bird nests.

5. Lake Turkana National Parks, Kenya

(Image: Nigel Pavitt/Getty)

The salty Lake Turkana is a crucial stopover for migratory birds and a breeding zone for crocodiles, hippos and snakes. Drought, evaporation and increased water use in the rivers that feed the lake are lowering its level and increasing its salinity, putting the animals that rely on it at risk.

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This article appeared in print under the headline “Climate change hits world’s outstanding natural areas”