Venice risks ‘irreversible’ damage due to continuing development, climate change and mass tourism that threaten the universal value of the property.
Unesco said in its recommendation that Venice risked “irreversible” damage due to a string of issues ranging from climate change to mass tourism. The recommendation will now go to a meeting of Uncesco’s World Heritage Committee in Riyadh in September for adoption. “Some of these long-standing issues have already led to the deterioration of the inherent characteristics of the property and its attributes,” Unesco said, warning that developments including high rise buildings risk “having significant negative visual impact”.
It said that overall, there was a “lack of significant progress” by Italy in addressing these issues and this was further “hindered by a lack of overall joint strategic vision”.