2010 Watch List of ‘at-risk’ sites announced by World Monuments Fund

Sharing a commonality as of late: Traditional houses called machiya in Kyoto, Antoni Gaudi’s Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the Suq al-Qaysariya in Bahrain, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin in Wisconsin, and the bridges of Merritt Parkway in Connecticut.

These and 87 other treasures, from the ancient to the modern, are included on the 2010 Watch List issued by World Monuments Fund. The nonprofit organization, working on cultural preservation issues, puts out the list to draw awareness to the dangers that threaten certain cultural heritage sites — “irreplaceable monuments to human culture” — around the world, according to the organization.

A Watch List is published every two years, with some sites, such as Machu Picchu in Peru, making repeat appearances. That world-famous archaeological site has survived time, warfare and natural disasters, but “steady and significant increases in visitation at the site have prompted development and urbanization in nearby areas to meet the growing tourism needs,” according to a WMF press release.

Other sites are on the list for a variety of reasons, ranging from disasters and conflicts to modern architectural structures, like the aforementioned Taliesin, that face “special problems stemming from experimental materials and innovative designs.”

To learn about all 93 sites on the current list, see the organization’s Watch Map, on which the endangered sites are plotted. Click on the “list view” icon on the page to see an alphabetical listing of sites by country.

For at-risk sites, placement on the Watch List means public attention, and a greater chance at attracting preservation efforts, and funds. Historic Route 66, the “Mother Road” of the U.S., is one such example. With some of its roadside Americana sites suffering from neglect and some in danger of deterioration, the route was placed on the 2008 Watch List but is not on the 2010 list.

Resulting successes include a partnership between WMF and American Express, through the Sustainable Tourism Initiative, to provide funding for projects along the route, according to the WMF website.

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Top photo: Machu Picchu is featured on the 2010 Watch List. Credit: Ken, Your Scene / Los Angeles Times

Bottom photo: Amateur historian Danny Castro in a museum he operates in San Bernardino. Credit: Jay Jones / For the Los Angeles Times

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 2:32 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under Arts & Culture, Asia, California, Eco-Travel, Global, News, Tips & Advice, South America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.