German NGO World Heritage Watch (WHW) published its 2018 Report.
WHW will hold its 4th International Civil Society Forum on World Heritage just days before the start of this years UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Manama, Bahrein (24. June – 4. July 2018).
The Report highlights dangers towards natural and cultural World Heritage sites, and makes the voice of civil society heard with the UNESCO Committee.
Uranium exploration and mining pose a serious threat to at least two World Heritage sites: to Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania – which has been listed as an “endangered” site since 2014 – and to world famous Grand Canyon in the US.
Ruthless resource exploitation put both sites at risk.
- “Tanzania: Selous Game Reserve – Still Under Threat” page 34 – 36)
- “Grand Canyon National Park Under Attack by Uranium Mining Plans” (page 48 – 52)
World Heritage site Selous Game Reserve is also under threat from plans to build Stiegeler’s Gorde dam, right in the heart of Selous Game Reserve; Tanzania government has invited bids to log an area in right in the center of Selous Game Reserve where Stiegeler’S Gorge dam shall be built – with no attention paid to concerns of environmental organisations and in spite of recommendations by the World Heritage Committee to halt the development of the dam.”
- read more: WHW-Report 2017 (pdf)