INGENIEUR
consumption and consumption by one person will not reduce the consumption of another . The existence , option and bequest values of heritage have public good characteristics .
The dilemma presented by goods with positive externality or public good characteristics is that those who derive benefits cannot be made to pay for them . In other words , suppliers have no way of recovering the full cost required to provide the good at a socially optimal level . When private costs and benefits do not reflect social costs and benefits , a market failure is said to occur . The implications of this may be an undersupply of the good . For example , a property owner may demolish a heritage building if the costs associated with its upkeep exceed the private benefits . However this decision does not take into account the wider social benefits that may have been derived from the heritage building . In such circumstances , Government intervention may be appropriate .
Natural World Heritage Sites - IUCN
There are 211 natural World Heritage Sites ( 183 classified as natural sites , and 28 mixed sites classified as both natural and cultural under the World Heritage Convention ). Natural World Heritage Sites are globally recognised as the world ’ s most important natural areas based on criteria that include scale of natural habitats , intactness of ecological processes , viability of populations of rare species , and rarity , notwithstanding aesthetic appeal which almost always accompany these natural wonders .
Of all the areas listed as protected areas in the World Database on Protected Areas ( WDPA ), World Heritage Sites include :
● 16 % of the total protected area in the Asia Pacific Region ;
● 11 % of the total protected area in Africa ;
● 8 % of the total protected area in Latin America and the Caribbean ;
● 9 % of the total protected area in the Arab States ; and
● 13 % of the total protected area in Europe and North America
More than a status symbol , World Heritage Sites often play a pivotal role in sustaining the livelihoods and cultures of indigenous peoples and local communities who have been living in harmony with the surrounding resources for centuries .
Many natural World Heritage Sites face increasing pressure from resource extraction , climate change , human conflict and poaching and would benefit from stronger management measures . To date , 17 natural and mixed World Heritage Sites are on the UNESCO World Heritage Danger list .
Natural World Heritage Sites include many household names of conservation such as Ngorongoro , Kilimanjaro , Galapágos , Virunga National Park , the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef .
Destroyed Heritage - Youth incorporated
A lot of precious monuments are destroyed by war , many by vandalism , and few by natural calamities .
The ancient city of Bosra ( Syria ), also a UNESCO World Heritage site , was destroyed due to heavy bombing during the recent war in Syria . The city was famous for its Roman Theatre , one of the largest at the time , and also a major tourist attraction .
The lighthouse of Alexandria , one of the Seven Wonders of the World , was also heavily damaged due to earthquakes , before being completely demolished for the construction of the citadel of Quaitbey .
The famous Buddha statues of Bamiyan , Afghanistan were mercilessly destroyed by terrorist organisation ISIS , as an opposition to religion . The demolition was carried out by dynamite , on the orders of leader Mullah Mohammed Omar . The vandalism drew criticism from all around the globe , and many countries even pledged to help in the process of restoring the statues .
Somnath temple in Gujarat , India was destroyed thrice . Afghan ruler Muhammad Ghazni looted and butchered it in 1024 , then one of the richest temples in India . He was followed by Allaudin Khilji in 1299 , who plundered the rebuilt temple . The famous Aurangzeb destroyed it in 1702 , to prevent Hindus from worshipping there .
50 VOL 85 JANUARY - MARCH 2021