The World Monuments Fund has released its 2022 World Monuments Watch list, a selection of 25 sites from across the globe that hold great cultural and heritage significance but are being faced with economic, political or natural threats. This year's selection highlights themes of global issues such as climate change, imbalanced tourism, underrepresentation, and recovery from crisis, urging for prompt preservation plans.
Launched in 1996, the World Monuments Watch announces a list every two years featuring sites nominated by global community-based organizations and individuals. Since the program’s inception, the organization has raised awareness about heritage places in need of protection, and has contributed more than $110 million towards projects with an additional $300 million from external sources. This year, the list included 24 countries with nearly 12,000 years of history, highlighting how global challenges take a heavy toll on heritage sites. The 2022 open call resulted in more than 225 nominations that underwent internal and external review by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and an independent panel of international heritage experts.
Read on to discover the list of endangered sites along with a description of why they were selected by the jury.
Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home, Australia
A survivor-led effort seeks to transform a former government institution for Aboriginal boys forcibly taken from their families into a place of truth-telling and healing.
Mosque City of Bagerhat, Bangladesh
The religious landscape of ancient Khalifatabad requires climate adaptation to ensure its survival and continued service to the Bagerhat community.
Lamanai, Belize
An international tourist destination encompassing an ancient Maya city requires a more inclusive heritage management plan to help reinforce the relationship between the site and local residents.
Monte Alegre State Park, Brazil
Prehistoric cave paintings in the Amazon are threatened by environmental degradation and call for improved stewardship that engages and benefits nearby communities.
La Maison du Peuple, Burkina Faso
An important landmark and unique example of African modernism in Burkina Faso requires rehabilitation to enhance public life and foster civic pride.
Cultural Landscape of the Bunong People, Combodia
Mapping and documentation of heritage places can support the Bunong people’s struggle to protect ancestral land from agro-industrial development and encroachment.
Fortified Manors of Yongtai, Fujian Province, China
Fortified family homes in remote southeast China present an opportunity for rural revitalization, community-led environmental management, and sustainable tourism
Abydos, Egypt
Tourism and encroachment at one of Ancient Egypt’s most important sites require technical expertise and careful planning to support sustainable preservation.
Asante Traditional Buildings, Ghana
Sacred earthen shrines, among the last architectural vestiges of the Kingdom of Asante, face ongoing deterioration that calls for new approaches to management and maintenance.
Tiretta Bazaar, India
India’s earliest Chinatown is home to minority communities seeking recognition for their history and urban revitalization to support their way of life.
Sumba Island, Indonesia
The sacred houses of the Sumbanese people will be lost without community-led training in the traditional knowledge necessary to maintain these structures and their layers of symbolic meaning.
Heritage Buildings of Beirut, Lebanon
The vibrant coastal city of Beirut, devastated by the blast of August 2020, needs further recovery support to protect and rehabilitate the historic buildings essential to its identity.
Benghazi Historic City Center, Libya
Revival of an important public square in war-ravaged Benghazi can catalyze recovery efforts and serve as a symbol of community-driven urban resilience.
Koagannu Mosques and Cemetery, Maldives
A historic waterfront cemetery with distinct coral-stone architecture is threatened by rapidly rising seas and highlights the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for adaptive preservation solutions.
Teotihuacan, Mexico
More inclusive tourism planning and visitor management at an iconic archaeological park can help address economic challenges facing surrounding communities.
Hitis (Water Fountains) of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
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An extensive system of historic water distribution points and underground channels needs maintenance to ensure that local communities have reliable access to clean water.
Tomb of Jahangir, Pakistan
The only imperial Mughal tomb in Pakistan requires restoration to foster new visitation and provide invaluable greenspace for community recreation within an expanding urban setting.
Yanacancha-Huaquis Cultural Landscape, Peru
Ancient pre-Inca water management systems and sustainable tourism planning are crucial for an Andean community to adapt to climate change and provide local economic benefit.
Alcântara and Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Marine Stations (Almada Negreiros Murals), Portugal
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Mid-century murals by Afro-Portuguese artist José de Almada Negreiros need conservation to promote underrepresented narratives and serve as a catalyst for port revitalization.
Fabric Synagogue and Jewish Heritage of Timișoara, Romania
Cultural mapping and restoration of a grand synagogue can bring renewed visibility to Jewish heritage in western Romania and promote local social cohesion.
Nuri, Sudan
Royal pyramids of the ancient kingdom of Kush threatened by environmental factors require renewed management strategies and conservation interventions to prevent further deterioration.
Hurst Castle, United Kingdom
A fortress built by Henry VIII that suffered partial collapse in 2021 illustrates the urgent need to address the impact of climate change on coastal heritage through continued monitoring.
Africatown, Alabama, United States
A historic Alabama community established by formerly enslaved Africans is seeking support to leverage a recent archaeological discovery to protect their homes and call for environmental justice.
Garcia Pasture, Texas, United States
The traditional territory of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas threatened by natural resource extraction and desecration of ancestral lands requires formal legal recognition to ensure its future.
Soqotra Archipelago, Yemen
The Soqotri people seek to protect and promote their identity through cultural mapping and inventory of their rich heritage.
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