Case studies on climate change and world heritage

The international scientific community now widely agrees that climate change will constitute one of the major challenges of the twenty-first century. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that its adverse consequences will be felt worldwide and that the hardest hit will be the disadvantaged and poorest people of the planet, precisely those who are least prepared to cope with the devastating effects of climate change. The scope of the impending global threats warrants action on the part of UNESCO in its capacity as the specialized UN agency for education, science, culture and communication. Indeed, through more than thirty programmes devoted to sustainable development, climate science, adaptation, monitoring and mitigation, UNESCO coordinates a wide range of initiatives related to world climate change, including projects on coral bleaching, ocean acidification, the hydrological cycle, mountainous biosphere reserves, drylands and desertification, to mention but a few. True to its mission to serve as a laboratory of ideas and clearinghouse for the dissemination and exchange of information and knowledge, UNESCO has organized international forums and produced reports and books on the subject, including the 2005 publication entitled Climate Change, aimed at a non-specialized public.