From prehistoric cave paintings to Swiss glaciers, these European World Heritage sites are at risk of floods and drought.
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Some of the world's most iconic UNESCO World Heritage sites, from the Swiss Alps to the Sydney Opera House, could disappear due to climate change, according to a new analysis.
Floods, coastal erosion, landslides, high winds, extreme heat, storms and cyclones are just some of the climate-related disasters that will hit iconic places around the world.
Climate risk data analytics company Climate-X modeled how these would affect 500 landmarks, identifying the top 50 landmarks most at risk by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly reduced.
A total of 17 European World Heritage sites appear on the list, with floods and droughts being the main risks across the continent.
Sweden and France have the most endangered World Heritage sites in Europe
The Engelsberg steelworks in Sweden is the most climate-risk site in Europe due to the threat of surface and river flooding, ranking fourth in the global top 50 list.
Dating back to the 17th century, the building is an outstanding example of a European industrial complex and is known as the best-preserved example of a Swedish ironworks, which helped Sweden prosper for two centuries.
Following closely behind in sixth place is the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc cave in the Ardèche, France. Threatened by surface flooding and landslides, this decorated cave contains the world's oldest and best-preserved figurative paintings, dating back 32,000 years.
What other European heritage sites face climate threats?
Coming in at 11th place is the Jungfrau-Aletsch region in the Swiss Alps, which just missed out on making the top 10. It is home to Europe's largest glacier and is at risk of river flooding.
The Zollverein coal mining industrial complex in Essen, Germany (ranked 12th) faces a similar threat, while the Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Complex in Norway (ranked 13th), which used hydroelectric power to produce nitrogen fertiliser, is also at risk of surface flooding.
The Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay in France (ranked 17th), founded in 1119, also risks being destroyed by surface flooding if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced.
Bulgaria's Srebarna Nature Reserve (20th) is a 600-hectare freshwater lake that is a breeding ground for around 100 bird species, while the biodiversity-rich Danube Delta in Romania (27th) is also under threat from river flooding.
Storms pose additional dangers to the medieval historic centres of Stralsund and Wismar in Germany (22nd) and the spectacular water gardens of Studley Royal Park in the UK (24th).
And across the UK, a range of places in Scotland face climate threats, from coastal flooding in the remote St Kilda archipelago (45th) to landslides in the 18th century milling village of New Lanark (44th).
Elsewhere, Bergen's historic port area, Bryggen (31st), in Norway, faces risks from coastal flooding and drought, the medieval town of Provins (32nd) in France's Champagne region is threatened by river flooding, and the fjords of western Norway (40th) and Spain's Vizcaya Bridge (43rd) are both at risk from coastal flooding.
Spain's Doñana National Park, ranked 33rd, also made it into the top 50 facing a range of threats including drought and river, surface and coastal flooding.
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The rest of the top 50 is made up of sites from Indonesia, China, Australia, Japan and India.
“A stark warning to governments, conservationists and the international community”
While the loss of UNESCO World Heritage sites, chosen for their cultural or natural importance, would be a devastating blow, Climate X warns that the climate threats they face are already affecting communities and economies around the world.
“Our findings send a stark warning to governments, conservationists and the international community to prioritise protecting our planet – preserving our ancient sites, current assets and infrastructure, and safeguarding life now and into the future,” said Lukki Ahmed, CEO and co-founder of the company.
Climate X models climate risks to real-world assets by creating digital twins, providing future insights to help stakeholders assess the impacts of climate change on their assets and real estate.
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