Venice has apparently taken just enough action to once again escape having its UNESCO World Heritage status marked with an ‘endangered’ sign warning that it could be in danger of losing the qualities that put it on the heritage list.
A UNESCO panel, meeting last week to consider placement on the World Heritage in Danger list, rejected the recommendation of its expert panel to put the island city on the list because of “irreversible” damage due to climate change, mass tourism and development.
Instead, the committee decided that while “further progress still needs to be made for proper conservation,” it would be premature to put Venice on the list. The committee cited the city’s decision to finally implement a long-delayed fee system aimed at curbing the number of day-trippers, and recommended that Rome organise a new advisory mission in Venice ito monitor the effectiveness of recently introduced measures.
Venice similarly got a last-minute reprieve for its status two years ago after Rome agreed to a long-discussed ban on large cruise ships passing through the lagoon and anchoring in sensitive city areas.
