Climate change is increasingly damaging the UN’s most cherished heritage sites, a leading conservation agency said on Wednesday.
It said that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and dozens of other natural wonders face severe threat.
Shrinking glaciers, bushfires, floods, droughts and the bleaching of coral reefs are among the troubles caused by climate change facing 83 of the 252 World Heritage Sites listed by Unesco, the UN’s cultural agency.
Natural World Heritage sites are among the world's most precious places, and we owe it to future generations to protect them
Sixteen World Heritage sites have deteriorated since the last World Heritage Outlook was released three years ago, while only eight improved, said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), made up of governments and civil society groups and advises Unesco on natural threats to those sites.
“Natural World Heritage sites are among the world’s most precious places, and we owe it to future generations to protect them,” IUCN director general Bruno Oberle said.
“Climate change is wreaking [havoc] on natural World Heritage, from shrinking glaciers to coral bleaching to increasingly frequent and severe fires and droughts.”
The report says the Great Barrier Reef, where ocean warming, acidification and extreme weather are adding to the coral decline and shrinking marine species populations, were one of four sites in Australia under “very high” threat.
The islands of protected areas in the Gulf of California in Mexico have also entered the critical category in the listing. Spain’s Garajonay National Park, Olympic National Park in the United States, and Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve are among those under “very high” threat, the new report said.
Human activities such as tourism, hunting and fishing, and livestock grazing have also had an effect. In a shift from the previous two IUCN reports, climate change has eclipsed “invasive alien species” – such as when foreign rodents, fish or plants are transplanted, accidentally or not, to new environments – as the most potent threat against such sites.
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
FIXTURES
Saturday, November 3
Japan v New Zealand
Wales v Scotland
England v South Africa
Ireland v Italy
Saturday, November 10
Italy v Georgia
Scotland v Fiji
England v New Zealand
Wales v Australia
Ireland v Argentina
France v South Africa
Saturday, November 17
Italy v Australia
Wales v Tonga
England v Japan
Scotland v South Africa
Ireland v New Zealand
Saturday, November 24
|Italy v New Zealand
Scotland v Argentina
England v Australia
Wales v South Africa
Ireland v United States
France v Fiji
Company%C2%A0profile
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The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Sweet%20Tooth
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
