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Though many people consider being included in the "List of World Heritage in Danger" a burning shame, experts said that the existence of such a list does help protect these properties of outstanding value to humanity from disappearing.
"The list has a warning and restriction effect. It could awaken related governments about the disappearing beauties," said Zhang Xinsheng, chairman of the 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee.
The "List of World Heritage in Danger" is a list of properties appearing in the World Heritage List which are facing dangers of destruction or damage caused by natural and artificial factors.
According to the World Heritage Convention, some of the dangers come from large-scale public or private projects or rapid urban or tourist development projects, changes in the use or ownership of the land, major alterations due to unknown causes, abandonment for any reason, the outbreak or threat of armed conflict.
Some come from natural calamities, like serious fires, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, changes in water levels, floods and tidal waves.
Zhang noted that besides ringing warning bell to related governments to pay more attention to the protection, properties covered in the list could have more possibilities to get technical and fund assistance as well as professional training from the international community.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland is one example. The deposit of rock salt in Wieliczka-Bochania has been mined since the 13th century. Spread over nine levels, it has 300 km of galleries with works of art, altars, and statures sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past of a major industrial undertaking.
It was included in the World Heritage list in 1978 among the first batch of members. But because of artificial destruction and humidity, the property was listed as a "World Heritage in Danger" in 1989.
The move stirred public interest in Poland. In the following nine years, the world community cooperated with the Polish government in building a dehumidifying system in the mine, making it possible to eliminate one of the major threats to the site. In December 1998, the site returned to the World Heritage list.
While encouraged by the removal of Wieliczka Salt Mines from the List of World Heritage in Danger, Zhang noted that most of the properties covered in the list are located in the economically undeveloped countries, which are short of funds and advanced technology, two major factors needed in the protection.
Besides, though the World Heritage Committee publishes the list at irregular intervals whenever circumstances require, statistics show that 70 percent of the 35 properties in the list were added in the past ten years.
In 2003, five more World Heritages were listed, including the Cultural Landscape and archeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley.
So far, China has not appeared on the list. "But this doesn't mean we have done a great job in our protection of world heritage sites," said Zhang. The World Heritage Committee has issued warnings to China several times. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie in central China's Hunan Province has been warned for its commercialization, followed by Huangshan Mountain in east China's Anhui Province and Taishan Mountain in east China's Shandong Province.
In China, many sites listed as a World Heritage are at the same time major tourism areas." China is taking measures to balance the tourism and protection," said Zhang.
(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2004)
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