{"id":37202,"date":"2026-04-23T07:05:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T01:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/?p=37202"},"modified":"2026-04-23T07:05:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T01:20:57","slug":"unesco-sites-seen-as-biodiversity-lifeline-report-warns-of-rising-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/unesco-sites-seen-as-biodiversity-lifeline-report-warns-of-rising-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"UNESCO sites seen as biodiversity lifeline, report warns of rising threats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

PARIS<\/strong> \u2013 UNESCO-designated sites are helping shield biodiversity from global decline, but face mounting environmental pressures, according to a new report released on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While global wildlife populations have fallen 73% since 1970, those within UNESCO-protected areas have remained comparatively stable, the study found. Covering more than 13 million square km \u2013 larger than China and India combined \u2013 the network of 2,260 sites includes World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese findings are clear: UNESCO sites are delivering for both people and nature,\u201d said Director-General Khaled El-Enany. \u201cThey are strategic assets in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report said UNESCO sites encompass more than 60% of globally mapped species, with 40% found nowhere else. They store an estimated 240 gigatons of carbon, equivalent to nearly two decades of current global emissions if released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But nearly 90% of sites face high levels of environmental stress, with climate-related hazards up 40% in the past decade. One in four could reach critical tipping points by 2050, risking glacier loss, coral reef collapse, and forests shifting from carbon sinks to carbon sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study also highlighted the human dimension: nearly 900 million people live in UNESCO-designated areas, representing about 10% of the global population. At least a quarter of sites overlap with Indigenous Peoples\u2019 territories, rising to nearly half in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNESCO urged governments to integrate these sites more fully into climate strategies, noting that while 80% of national biodiversity plans include them, only 5% of climate plans do. Priorities include ecosystem restoration, transboundary cooperation, and inclusive governance with Indigenous and local communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, produced with more than 20 research institutions, concludes that investing in UNESCO sites today could safeguard ecosystems, cultures, and livelihoods for generations to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PARIS \u2013 UNESCO-designated sites are helping shield biodiversity from global decline, but face mounting environmental pressures, according to a new report released on 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