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🗞️ Driving the news: Seventeen European UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been identified as highly at risk from climate change impacts, such as flooding, drought, and landslides, according to a new study by Climate X
• The Engelsberg Ironworks in Sweden tops the list in Europe, threatened by river and surface flooding
Other notable sites include the Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc in France and the Jungfrau-Aletsch region in Switzerland
🔭 The context: Climate X's study analyzed 500 global heritage sites and predicted the top 50 at-risk sites by 2050 under current greenhouse gas emission trends
• These sites face various climate-related hazards, including rising sea levels, extreme heat, and powerful storms
• The analysis emphasizes that historic and cultural landmarks, typically seen as resilient, are now vulnerable to the growing impacts of climate change
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The potential loss of these sites would not only erase cultural heritage but also signal the severe threats climate change poses to global ecosystems and human society
• Protecting these landmarks is crucial to preserving historical legacies and supporting communities and economies reliant on cultural tourism
• This study underlines the urgent need for climate action to safeguard irreplaceable global heritage
⏭️ What's next: The findings call for immediate, robust measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions and implement protective strategies for at-risk sites
• Governments, preservationists, and the international community must prioritize climate adaptation to preserve these cultural treasures for future generations
• Climate X's digital modeling could help guide these conservation efforts
💬 One quote: “Our findings serve as a stark warning for governments, preservationists, and the global community to prioritise the safeguarding of our planet,” stated Lukky Ahmed, CEO and co-founder of Climate X
📈 One stat: Seventeen European World Heritage Sites are listed among the top 50 most at-risk from climate change by 2050
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