Unesco World Heritage Sites Under Severe Threat Says WWF

Beautiful, healthy environments are more than just eye candy -- in fact according to a report commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund, healthy environments boost local economies. Unfortunately, it seems that many United Nations World Heritage Sites are under severe threat, with the locals being threatened along with them.

The Christian Science Monitor noted that 229 sites designated in 96 countries were so named because UNESCO believes in their "outstanding universal value" and that they should belong to everyone in the world. Among these sites include the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Machu Picchu in Peru.

According to the study from the WWF, out of the 229 sites, 114 have oil, gas or mining problems put upon them, or are under threat from at least one harmful industrial activity.

Ths danger is even more apparent considering that there are around eleven million people living within these sites, and with the threat to their environment comes with the threat on their population, as the sites are said to interlink with their livelihood as well as their means of survival, as it provides them with food, water and medicine. The report also stated that 90 percent of these sites provide jobs that extend beyond their boundaries.

Marco Lambertini, the director of WWF International, noted that governments and businesses are in desperate need for a reality check and should realize that the long-term value of these sites are more important that the short-term revenue that the industrial activities provide. 

The Guardian also noted that critics suggested the UN has not done enough to ensure that these sites are protected as well as they should. While the Unesco World Heritage label is a coveted accolade, it is the governments in charge of these sites that are mostly responsible for their protection. To address the problem, the UN is now considering providing armed forces for those sites that are in danger, particularly, from war.