Because Venice once again risks losing the title of Unesco site

Due to the passage of large ships in the lagoon, the recognition of World Heritage Site could be revoked. The great barrier reef in Australia is also at risk

(photo: Simone Padovani / Awakening / Getty Images) Once again Venice risks losing its status as an artistic heritage of humanity, if the Italian authorities do not decide to ban transit to large cruise ships in the lagoon. This is what has been announced by Unesco - the United Nations agency for education, science and culture - which is considering whether to include Venice in its blacklist, where all the sites in danger due to conflicts and industrialization end up. , poorly maintained or insufficiently regulated to protect cultural heritage. Currently 53 sites are blacklisted and, along with Venice, Australia's Great Barrier Reef could also end up on the same list.

If the measure is approved, the agency may require urgent action by the Italian state to protect the lagoon. At that point, the government would have until February to comply with Unesco's guidelines, otherwise Venice could lose its title of artistic heritage of humanity. The Venetian capital has been under observation for a long time, due to the rising sea, too many tourists and above all the large ships passing in front of the Basilica of San Marco. Already in 2019 he had risked ending up on the blacklist, but the danger had escaped following the reassurances of the then Minister of Cultural Heritage Alberto Bonisoli, who had promised to ban the transit of large ships. After three years we are at the starting point.

When a site ends up in the blacklist, the risk for countries is to lose tourism and then, in case of cancellation of the status, also of the funding guaranteed by the international community. To date, only two sites have lost their status, after being included in the list: the Sanctuary of the Oryx of Arabia in Oman, due to the will of the government to exploit the area for the extraction of oil and gas, and the Dresden Elbe Valley, following the city's decision to build a 4-lane viaduct. However, in these days, UNESCO is considering whether to delete another place from the list of World Heritage Sites: the merchant port of Liverpool. The agency had warned the English city not to proceed with the construction of some skyscrapers along the harbor line, a warning ignored by the administration, despite the inclusion of Liverpool on the blacklist since 2012.

On the other side of the world, on the other hand, it is Australia's great coral reef that is in danger, both for its integrity and for its status as a UNESCO site. The Agency has requested the Government of Australia to act in every way possible to protect the barrier, particularly threatened by the warming of the waters caused by pollution.


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