Victory for Heritage: Three African Sites Removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger
Written By Maxine Ansah
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PARIS, July 2025 – In a significant win for global cultural and natural heritage, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in Paris, has removed three remarkable African sites from the List of World Heritage in Danger. These include the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in Madagascar, Abu Mena in Egypt and the Old Town of Ghadamès in Libya. The decision highlights years of determined conservation work by national authorities, local communities and UNESCO.
“When sites are removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, it is a great victory for all. For the countries and communities directly concerned, for UNESCO and, more broadly, for the shared heritage of humanity,” said UNESCO
Director-General Audrey Azoulay. She added that the organisation is intensifying efforts in Africa to train experts, support new inscriptions and help remove more sites from danger, and that these efforts are now bearing fruit.
Rainforests of the Atsinanana: Saving Lemurs and Ancient Forests
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007, the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in Madagascar are known for their rich biodiversity and unique species such as lemurs. However, illegal logging, trafficking of precious woods and deforestation led to their inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2010.
In response, Madagascar, supported by UNESCO and the international community, implemented an ambitious action plan. This included stronger management strategies, satellite monitoring and local patrols. Notably, 63 per cent of previously lost forest cover was restored; illegal logging was halted and lemur poaching dropped to its lowest level in a decade.
Abu Mena: Protecting a Sacred Christian Landmark
Egypt’s Abu Mena, inscribed in 1979 as an exceptional early Christian pilgrimage site, faced grave threats from rising groundwater that weakened historic structures. It was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2001.
Recent conservation efforts included the installation of a solar-powered drainage system in 2021, which reduced water levels and stabilised the site. A conservation plan developed in 2024 with support from UNESCO’s World Heritage Fund involved local communities and laid out strategies to protect this sacred heritage.
Old Town of Ghadamès: Rebuilding After Conflict
The Old Town of Ghadamès in Libya, inscribed in 1986, has long stood as a symbol of cultural exchange across Africa and the Mediterranean. Conflict, wildfires and heavy rains led to its addition to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016.
Through extensive restoration led by local authorities and supported by international partners, historic buildings, pipelines and traditional infrastructure were repaired. Training programmes also helped build local capacity for governance and heritage management, while a risk prevention plan was developed to protect the site against future threats.
Preserving Heritage, Building Peace
The List of World Heritage in Danger was established to draw attention to serious threats facing World Heritage sites and to encourage international cooperation. Sites on this list receive additional technical and financial support from UNESCO.
As UNESCO’s founding constitution famously states, “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. The successful restoration of these three African sites is a testament to that vision: that through shared responsibility and collective effort, even heritage once thought lost can be preserved for generations to come.