Venice Faces New Challenges as UNESCO Recommends Inclusion in World Heritage in Danger

UNESCO’s Recommendation for Venice

Venice is once again on the radar of UNESCO, which has recommended the famous city be added to its list of World Heritage in Danger sites.

Challenges Facing Venice

UNESCO experts have now suggested that the canal city be added to the list, citing that officials in Italy are not doing enough to protect it from the adverse effects of climate change and over-tourism, as Reuters reported. Historically, Venice has been in UNESCO’s crosshairs for years.

According to UNESCO, “Resolution of long-standing but urgent issues is hindered by a lack of overall joint strategic vision for the long-term preservation of the property and low effectiveness of integrated coordinated management at all stakeholder levels.”

The last time the heritage group considered designating Venice as endangered, Italy declared the waterways around the city a “national monument” and banned large cruise ships from navigating its canals. Furthermore, the city has formed plans to introduce a day trip tax but has continually postponed its implementation.

Additionally, Venice has built sea walls to mitigate the impact of high tides, as reported by The New York Times. However, UNESCO has commented that these measures are “currently insufficient and not detailed enough,” highlighting that Italy “has not been communicating in a sustained and substantive manner since its last Committee session in 2021.”

Venice and Global Heritage Concerns

Renato Brunetta, a former government minister who now leads a Venice-focused sustainability foundation, emphasized to NYT that the efforts undertaken by the city make it better equipped than many others to navigate climate change challenges.

“Venice has been a more fragile city than the others,” Brunetta stated. “Paradoxically now it’s the most secure.”

Furthermore, Venice isn’t the only city that UNESCO has considered for its World Heritage in Danger list. Earlier this year, the organization inscribed the Ukrainian city of Odessa on the list, which will receive enhanced technical and financial international assistance as a consequence.

Additionally, UNESCO has included landmarks from Yemen and Lebanon in its endangered list. These global heritage concerns underscore the need for effective conservation strategies worldwide.