73% non-marine UNESCO sites at severe water risk: WRI report

Hindustan Times

02-07-2025

A new analysis shows 73% of all non-marine UNESCO World Heritage Sites are exposed to at least one severe water risk (water stress, drought, river flooding or coastal flooding), with 21% of sites facing dual problems — having too much water one year, and too little during another. The Taj Mahal faces water scarcity that is increasing pollution and depleting groundwater, the analysis states (PTI)
The analysis based on World Resources Institute's Aqueduct data (also a water risk atlas) has flagged that several sites in India are among those experiencing severe risks, including the Taj Mahal, Kaziranga National Park, Western Ghats, Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, and the Great Living Chola Temples among others. Around 40% of the UNESCO sites are facing issues related to water stress and drought risk while 33% and 4% respectively face challenges from riverine flood risk and coastal flood risk.
'Sites at risk include global icons such as the Taj Mahal, Angkor, Yellowstone National Park, Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls, the Sagarmatha National Park (Mt Everest) and many more. With water stress projected to intensify in many regions, the implications for ecosystems, cultural heritage, and local economies are significant - but solutions are within reach,' the analysis said.
For example, WRI's mapping shows Sun Temple in Konark; victorian gothic and art deco ensembles in Mumbai; churches and convents of Goa; Western Ghats etc in India are at extremely high risk of riverine flooding. Drought risk is high for Qutub Minar; Keoladeo national park; Rani ki Vaw stepwell in Gujarat; even Chola temples in Mahabalipuram.
'Water is impacting some of the Earth's most cherished places: The Taj Mahal, for example, faces water scarcity that is increasing pollution and depleting groundwater, both of which are damaging the mausoleum. In 2022, a massive flood closed down all of Yellowstone National Park and cost over $20 million in infrastructure repairs to reopen. Water issues — whether it's drought, scarcity, pollution or flooding — have become a threat to many of the more than 1,200 UNESCO World Heritage Sites,' the analysis states.
While the global share of World Heritage Sites exposed to high to extremely high levels of water stress is projected to rise from 40% to 44% by 2050, impacts will be far more severe in regions like the Middle East and North Africa, parts of South Asia and northern China — areas where existing water stress is exacerbated by extensive river regulation, damming and upstream water withdrawals. In these regions, the combined pressures of infrastructure development and climate change pose a significant threat to both natural ecosystems and the cultural heritage they sustain, it adds.
Places ranging from the biodiversity-rich Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, to cultural treasures like the sacred city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico, to bustling urban centers like Morocco's Medina of Fez are facing growing water risks.
For example, the Ahwar of Southern Iraq is facing acute water stress. In 2016, UNESCO added the Ahwar to the World Heritage list as a mixed site — recognized for both its natural values and cultural legacy. It's one of approximately 470 UNESCO World Heritage Sites facing water scarcity due to issues like pollution and competition for its water resources. Fed by Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the Ahwar is among the largest inland delta systems on Earth. These sprawling marshes are teeming with life that include millions of migratory birds like the rare Basra Reed Warbler and large wild buffalo that wade through its reed beds.
Over the years, upstream dam construction, agricultural water use and periods of political instability including significant drainage of the marshes in the 1990s have reduced the freshwater flowing into the region. As a result, the area remains highly vulnerable during times of drought, the analysis said.
WRI water experts have recommended that local authorities restore vital landscapes that support healthy, stable water, invest in nature-based solutions like planting trees to restore headwater forests or revitalizing wetlands to capture flood waters and recharge aquifers. These approaches can build resilience to extreme weather and address multiple water challenges simultaneously. Nationally, countries can enact conservation policies to protect vital landscapes from unsustainable development.