UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has announced a significant milestone during its 47th session held on July 9 in Paris: three iconic African sites have been officially removed from its List of World Heritage in Danger. The move highlights a major conservation victory, recognising vital ecological and cultural preservation efforts undertaken in Madagascar, Egypt, and Libya.
The Rainforests of the Atsinanana in Madagascar, once celebrated for their rich biodiversity and declared a World Heritage site in 2007, were placed on the Danger List in 2010 due to extensive illegal logging, deforestation, and illicit timber trade that threatened unique wildlife such as lemurs. However, sustained environmental protection campaigns, backed by national authorities and UNESCO support, have successfully halted these destructive activities and enabled the region’s ecological resilience to return. This shift signals a hopeful resurgence for one of the world’s biologically richest tropical rainforest systems.
In Egypt, the historic site of Abu Mena—a centre for early Christian pilgrimage—had been added to the Danger List in 2001. This followed a perilous rise in the local water table caused by neighbouring agricultural irrigation, which led to structural damage and the collapse of ancient foundations. In response, Egyptian authorities undertook emergency measures such as installing drainage systems, reinforcing threatened structures with sand, and implementing irrigation controls. These strategies successfully stabilised the site, allowing it to be delisted in 2009 and maintained in good condition up to the present.
Libya’s Old Town of Ghadamès, inscribed in 1986, faced multiple modern threats—from armed conflict and wildfires to flash floods—which prompted its inclusion on the Danger List in 2016. In recent years, a robust conservation plan has been carried out, involving restoration of its distinctive mud-brick architecture, emergency fire protection, flood mitigation, and local community engagement. At the Paris session, the World Heritage Committee acknowledged that these extensive efforts have restored the integrity and stability of Ghadamès, justifying its removal.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay praised these achievements as powerful affirmations of shared heritage stewardship, stating, “When sites are removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, it is a great victory for all…for the shared heritage of humanity.” She specifically noted that UNESCO’s intensified focus on Africa—through expert training, new site nominations, and targeted efforts to remove endangered properties—has played a decisive role in these recent successes.
The organisation reported that Africa holds the most endangered properties in the world, with 14 out of the 56 sites currently listed as “in danger,” underscoring the pressing need for ongoing attention. However, these latest removals build on previous conservation successes: since 2021, six other sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Senegal have also been delisted, including Senegal’s Niokolo‑Koba National Park in July 2024 and Uganda’s Kasubi Tombs in September 2023.
The removal of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana, Abu Mena, and the Old Town of Ghadamès from the Danger List represents not only a victory for their safeguarding nations but also a testament to the global power of cooperation. By mobilising resources, expertise, and community involvement, UNESCO and its partners have demonstrated that even the gravest threats to heritage can be reversed. These victories offer a beacon of hope and a replicable model for addressing the complex challenges that continue to afflict many of Africa’s cultural and natural treasures.
As Director-General Azoulay affirmed, this marks not an endpoint but a vital turning point in a broader journey: “[UNESCO is] supporting strategies to bring some sites out of danger…these efforts are paying off today.”
As efforts continue, the global community’s commitment to preserving these irreplaceable sites will remain key. UNESCO’s deliberate focus on Africa seeks not only to protect these heritage landmarks but also to enrich the cultural fabric and environmental integrity of generations to come.
