Imperative to preserve pillar of heritage

The world has witnessed the heartbreaking fragility of cultural heritage in recent years, as disasters and conflicts have erased millenniums of history. Wildfires and earthquakes have destroyed temples and monuments, and wars and armed conflicts have turned iconic landmarks into rubble.

Even in the absence of sudden catastrophe, heritage sites are increasingly vulnerable. Rising seas engulf ancient port cities, while intensifying monsoons erode historic settlements. In China, sections of the Great Wall, built to withstand invaders, now battle desertification and extreme weather. From thawing Arctic permafrost destabilizing indigenous sites to scorching temperatures fading Australia's ancient rock art, no region remains untouched.

Human activities are accelerating the peril. While urbanization and unchecked development have led to encroachment of historic neighborhoods, sprawling infrastructure has fractured cultural landscapes. Even tourism, a vital source of preservation funding, is straining fragile monuments in many UNESCO World Heritage sites.