World will lose 50 heritage sites till 2050 because of climate change, predict experts

Researchers from Climate X have predicted that dozens ofUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites will stop existing till 2050 because of climate change.

The experts took the help of climate models to understand how the landmark sites will be impacted because of flooding, coastal erosion, landslides, wind-based hazards, storms and cyclones.

In the analysis, 50 world heritage sites were found to be at risk, out of which five were in India.

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"Our findings serve as a stark warning for governments, preservationists, and the global community to prioritise the safeguarding of our planet - to preserve our ancient monuments and our current assets and infrastructure- and to protect life today and into the future," Lukky Ahmed, CEO and co-founder of Climate X said.

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Currently, 1,223 sites have been included in UNESCO's World Heritage list. These are considered to be important and need to be protected.

Researchers from Climate X carried out a new study to understand which among them will perish because of climate change.

How did the team predict the future of world heritage sites?

Climate X's Spectra platform was used by the team in which models projected how properties, assets and infrastructure will be affected by climate change under different scenarios.

The platform's algorithm quantified the risk from extreme weather to 16 different climate hazards, which ranged from tropical cyclones, extreme heat and flooding, across eight different warming scenarios which may occur in the next 100 years.

In the analysis, 50 important sites were found to be at risk if global greenhouse gas emissions continue increasing at the current rate.

The number one on the list is Indonesia's Subak System which faces the risk of surface flooding, extreme heat days, and drought risk.

The second in line was Australia's Kakadu National Park which faced the risk of surface flooding and wildfires and China's Quanzhou: Emporium of the World emerged in third place by facing the risk of drought.

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Other major sites on the list were Australia's Sydney Opera House, the US Olympic National Park, Switzerland's Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, and Korea's Sansa Buddhist Mountain Monasteries.

Meanwhile, five sites from India were also on the list which included Khangchendzonga National Park, Sun Temple in Konarak, Keoladeo National Park, Sundarbans National Park and Churches and Convents of Goa.

"The potential impact of climate change on these sites is profound," said Ahmed.

"But it's not just our past heritage that's at risk - it's our present, too. While the loss of these cultural treasures - many of which have endured for millennia - would of course be devastating, it's also vital to remember the real societal and economic impact of climate change is happening in the here and now," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)