Venice city to be saved, to be included in the list of world heritage at risk. The worrying cry of alarm was launched by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, established in Paris on November 4, 1946.
Venice city to save
According to the international body, the famous Italian city, a world heritage site since 1987, could be included by UNESCO in the list of sites in danger. In view of the meeting of the 21 member states of the organization's World Heritage Committee, UNESCO experts propose to "inscribe Venice and its lagoon in the list of world heritage at risk". So writes Le Figaro quoting a document published by the organization which is based in Paris.
At the heart of the experts' recommendation is the management of mass tourism, urban development done without impact assessment, motor boats and, more generally, the environmental problems of the lagoon. Already in 2021, Unesco experts had proposed declaring the lagoon city in danger, which Italy had avoided by banning the entry of large cruise ships into the basin, the canal of San Marco and the Giudecca canal.
Protect the lagoon
Unesco recognizes the work done by Italy to “protect better the lagoon“, but deems it insufficient. For experts, "significant progress" still needs to be made. In particular to make the Mose "fully operational". More generally, a "long-term strategy" is needed to avoid "irreversible changes" and "the loss of historical authenticity". In the background, experts believe that certain urban development projects and uncontrolled tourist development could endanger the integrity of the lagoon city.
UNESCO does not plan, at least for now, to withdraw Venice from the list of 900 world cultural heritage sites. Also because the inclusion of a property in the list of sites at risk should be an incentive to act. On Le Figaro it is specified that “Unesco has responsibilities towards classified sites. If the recommendation were to be approved, Italy would find itself on a list that includes 55 'endangered' sites in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Lebanon and Ukraine, all countries afflicted by conflict or lack of resources".
(Photo archive italiani.it)
