These are the World Heritage Sites that are 'in danger', according to Unesco

The Great Barrier Reef could be the first World Heritage Site to be added to the 'in danger' list due to climate change. Credit: AP

The Great Barrier Reef could be the first World Heritage Site to be listed as being "in danger" mainly due to climate change.

A report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) on Monday recommended that the world heritage committee meeting in July consider adding the world’s biggest coral reef system in Australia to the list of "in danger" sites.

It comes as global warming led to three mass bleaching events on the reef since 2015.

Australia is resisting the recommendation for the second time, with environment minister Sussan Ley saying the world heritage committee is “not the forum” to “make a point” about climate change.

There are currently 53 sites in Unesco's World Heritage in Danger list. Many have be put on the list after armed conflict and war, pollution, poaching and over-development.

They include Liverpool's Maritime Mercantile City, which was put on the list in 2012 after concerns by English Heritage that the Liverpool Waters development would threaten the area's heritage attributes.

Nature reserves, rainforests and national parks from other countries are also on the list, such as Everglades National Park in the USA, which lists ground and surface water pollution, housing and mercury contamination of fish and wildlife as some of the factors that affected the area.

Over-farming, illegal hunting and land development were also factors in natural sites on the list, including the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra in Indonesia and Lake Turkana National Parks in Kenya.

Nature reserves and national parks are in Unesco's World Heritage Sites in Danger. Credit: AP/Andrew Selsky

Here are all 53 sites listed as World Heritage Sites in Danger by Unesco:

  • Afghanistan - Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (2003)

  • Afghanistan - Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (2002)

  • Austria - Historic Centre of Vienna (2017)

  • Bolivia - City of Potosí (2014)

  • Central African Republic - Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (1997)

  • Côte d'Ivoire - Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (1992)

  • DR Congo - Garamba National Park (1996)

  • DR Congo - Kahuzi-Biega National Park (1997)

  • DR Congo - Okapi Wildlife Reserve (1997)

  • DR Congo - Salonga National Park (1999)

  • DR Congo - Virunga National Park (1994)

  • Egypt - Abu Mena (2001)

  • Guinea - Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (1992)

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  • Honduras - Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (2011)

  • Indonesia - Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (2011)

  • Iraq - Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (2003)

  • Iraq - Hatra (2015)

  • Iraq - Samarra Archaeological City (2007)

  • Jerusalem - Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (1982)

  • Kenya - Lake Turkana National Parks (2018)

  • Libya - Archaeological Site of Cyrene (2016)

  • Libya - Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (2016)

  • Libya - Archaeological Site of Sabratha (2016)

  • Libya - Old Town of Ghadamès (2016)

  • Libya - Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (2016)

  • Madagascar - Rainforests of the Atsinanana (2010)

  • Mali - Old Towns of Djenné (2016)

  • Mali - Timbuktu (2012)

  • Mali - Tomb of Askia (2012)

Land development is one of many reasons world heritage sites are listed as being 'in danger' Credit: AP Photo/Michael Probst

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  • Mexico - Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (2019)

  • Micronesia - Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (2016)

  • Niger - Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (1992)

  • Palestine - Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (2017)

  • Palestine - Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (2014)

  • Panama - Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (2012)

  • Peru - Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (1986)

  • Senegal - Niokolo-Koba National Park (2007)

  • Serbia - Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (2006)

  • Solomon Islands - East Rennell (2013)

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  • Syria - Ancient City of Aleppo (2013)

  • Syria - Ancient City of Bosra (2013)

  • Syria - Ancient City of Damascus (2013)

  • Syria - Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (2013)

  • Syria - Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (2013)

  • Syria - Site of Palmyra (2013)

  • Uganda - Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (2010)

  • UK - Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City (2012)

  • Tanzania - Selous Game Reserve (2014)

  • USA - Everglades National Park (2010)

  • Uzbekistan - Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (2016)

  • Venezuela - Coro and its Port (2005)

  • Yemen - Historic Town of Zabid (2000)

  • Yemen - Old City of Sana'a (2015)

  • Yemen - Old Walled City of Shibam (2015)