Paris: Three significant African heritage sites have been removed from UNESCO’s “List of World Heritage in Danger.” This decision by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee acknowledges the successful efforts made to restore the cultural and environmental integrity of these sites and mitigate the threats they faced. The announcement was made during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Paris on July 9.
The three sites delisted are:
- Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Madagascar): Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2007 for its unique biodiversity, these rainforests were added to the Danger List in 2010 due to threats like illegal logging, smuggling of valuable timber, and deforestation. Intensive conservation efforts and reforestation have successfully removed the site from this threat.
- Abu Mena (Egypt): An 8th-century Christian pilgrimage site, Abu Mena was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979. It was placed on the Danger List in 2001 after rising groundwater levels due to nearby agricultural practices caused significant damage to many of its structures. Restoration work and improved water management practices have now brought stability to the site.
- Old City of Ghadamès (Libya): Recognized in 1986 as a meeting point of African and Mediterranean cultures, the Old City of Ghadamès was added to the Danger List in 2016 following conflicts, wildfires, and floods.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay stated that the removal of these three sites from the list is a result of extensive conservation efforts undertaken by the respective countries in collaboration with UNESCO. She added that the delisting of a site from the Danger List is a great success for the concerned countries, communities, UNESCO, and the common heritage of humanity.
Since 2021, three other sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Senegal have also been removed from the Danger List. UNESCO has recently been making significant efforts to support its African member states.
