Question

A World Heritage Site is a site determined by the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) to have significant cultural or natural importance to humanity. As such the sites are

protected and maintained by the International World Heritage Programme which is administered by the UNESCO

World Heritage Committee. Because World Heritage Sites are places that are significant culturally and naturally,

they vary in type but include forests, lakes, monuments, buildings and cities. World Heritage Sites can also be a

combination of both cultural and natural areas. For example, Mount Huangshan in China is a site with significance

to human culture because it played a role in historical Chinese art and literature. The mountain is also significant

because of its physical landscape characteristics.

HISTORY OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES

Although the idea of cultural and natural heritage sites around the world began in the early twentieth century,

momentum of its actual creation was not until the 1950s. In 1954, Egypt started plans to build the Aswan High

Dam to collect and control water from the Nile river. The initial plan for the dam’s construction would have

flooded the valley containing the Abu Simbel Temples and scores of ancient Egyptian artefacts. To protect the

temples and artefacts, UNESCO launched an international campaign in 1959 that called for the dismantling and

movement of the temples to high ground. The project cost an estimated US $80 million, $40 million of which came

from 50 different countries. Because of the project’s success, UNESCO and the International Council on

Monuments and Sites initiated a draft convention to create an international organization responsible for

protecting cultural heritage.

Question :How do you think can an individual conserve and protect a World Heritage Site?​

Answer 1

Prevent ourselves and others from scribbling on the walls.

Participating in the regular Cleanliness Drives.

Being a part of the 'Adopt a Heritage' initiative.

Spreading awareness around about these monuments and their importance.

Answer 2

World heritage site promote tourism. They are a part of the culture of the world,a part of the past. lt is essential to preserve the past in order to learn from it. Natural beauty too should be preserved so that everyone today and in future can enjoy it. Hence, we should preserve world heritage sites.