Climate Change Threats to UNESCO-Designated World Heritage Sites: Empirical Evidence from Konso Cultural Landscape, Ethiopia

Climate change is significantly threatening the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Konso Cultural Landscape, Ethiopia, with rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns leading to severe environmental and societal impacts. Research using satellite-gauge-station data (1981–2020) and temperature records (1987–2020) revealed significant increases in heavy rainfall days, wet-day precipitation, and extreme heat events, exacerbating flooding, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss. These changes are disrupting traditional livelihoods, agricultural productivity, and cultural practices, posing risks to the site's integrity and the resilience of smallholder farmers. The study underscores the urgent need for localized climate adaptation strategies to protect this global cultural asset.

Assen, Y. M., Kura, A. L., Dube, E. E., Mensuro, G. K., Debelo, A. R., & Gure, L. B. (2024). Climate Change Threats to UNESCO-Designated World Heritage Sites: Empirical Evidence from Konso Cultural Landscape, Ethiopia. Sustainability, 16(19), 8442. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198442