Show latest news, more from October 2002.
UNESCO World Heritage conference addresses mountain hazards
A recent conference held by UNESCO in France addressed the issue of heritage sites located in mountainous regions, and their high risk of being damaged by natural disasters. UNESCO notes that some of the world’s most precious monuments – and the thousands of people living in or near them – are in mountainous areas. ‘According to scientists, the 16th century site of Machu Picchu (Peru), a UNESCO World Heritage site perched 2,430 meters up in the Andes Cordillera, is threatened by a landslide. And experts say that the Kathmandu Valley (Nepal), another World Heritage site that boasts seven different monument zones, is at risk of a major earthquake,’ notes a UNESCO statement. The meeting, held in the French city of Chambéry by the specially-created Montanea Association, was designed to bring together a range of experts to discuss the causes of natural disasters and propose protection measures. Mayors from mountain cities around the world were also expected to meet, share experiences and look at the potential for co-operation in keeping monuments safe. ‘Mountain areas are particularly prone to earthquakes’, commented Wolfgang Eder, Director of UNESCO’s Earth Sciences Division, the conference’s main organiser, ‘especially “young” mountains like the Himalayas.’ These massive mountains are actually rising at a rate of one centimetre per annum, he said.
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