On Oct. 16, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) announced its 2018 World Monuments Watch list. Since 1996, this initiative has identified endangered cultural heritage sites throughout the globe on a biennial basis and has “issued [a cumulative] call to action for 814 sites facing daunting threats or compelling opportunities for protection, conservation, and engagement,” according to a press release. American Express, a founding sponsor of the program, has provided grants totaling $17.5 million in support of the initiative.
This year, the WMF named 25 sites across more than 30 countries and territories—identifying six main themes they fall under: conflict, climate change, disaster response, sites of social movement, modern sites, and cultural landscapes.
“By building an international coalition, the World Monuments Watch protects both the sites themselves and the shared history they embody,” said Joshua David, president and CEO of WMF, in said release. “We may be best known for the excellence of our conservation practices, but the human impacts of our work ultimately mean the most. Sites like the 25 on the 2018 Watch are where we come together as citizens of the world and renew our commitments to justice, culture, peace, and understanding.”
Below are some examples of each major theme on this year’s watch list. For a full list of sites, visit the WMF website.
Conflict
Souk of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
Courtesy Matthew Heptinstall/ Flickr/ World Monuments Fund
Climate Change
Blackpool Piers, Blackpool, England
Courtesy MIBACT/ World Monuments Fund
Disaster Response
Amatrice, Italy
Courtesy Laura Ewen Blokker, Southeast Preservation/ World Monuments Fund
Sites of Social Movement
Alabama Civil Rights Sites, U.S.
Courtesy Noriyuki Kawanishi/ World Monuments Fund
Modern Sites
Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium, Tamakatsu, Japan
Courtesy NCMM/ Dipo Alafiatayo/ World Monuments Fund
Nigeria Sukur Cultural Landscape 2006 (c) Dipo Alafiatayo
Cultural Landscapes
Sukur Cultural Landscape, Madagali Local Government Area, Nigeria