World Heritage

 World Heritage

 

About the lesson:

‘World Heritage’ tells us the following things:

·       What world heritage means

·       Who decides what to be declared as world heritage

·       The process of declaring something as a world heritage

·       World heritage sites and their types all over the world

·       World heritage sites in danger and precautionary measures by UNESCO

 

Question – Answer:

1)    What significant aspects should a world heritage site have?

A world heritage site should have significant cultural or natural importance to humanity. They should be significant culturally and naturally.

 

2)    What do world heritage sites include?

A world heritage site includes forests, lakes, monuments, buildings and cities.

 

3)    Why did UNESCO launch and international campaign in 1959?

In 1954, Egypt started building Aswan High Dam on the Nile River to solve their problem of water. However, the construction of dam would have brought floods in the valley containing Abu Simbel Temples and scores of ancient artifacts. So, to protect the temples and ancient artifacts, UNESCO launched an international campaign in 1959.

 

4)    Why did a White House Conference in the United States call for a ‘World Heritage Trust’?

In 1965, a White House Conference in the United States called for a ‘World Heritage Trust’ to protect historic, cultural sites but also to protect the world’s significant natural and scenic sites.

 

5)    What does the World Heritage Committee consist of?

The World Heritage Committee consists of representatives from 21 State Parties that are elected from six year terms by the World Heritage Centre’s General Assembly.

6)    What is the World Heritage Committee responsible for?

The World Heritage Committee is responsible for identifying and nominating new sites within their territory to be considered for the inclusion on the World Heritage list.

 

7)    When was the convention concerning the protection of World Culture and Natural Heritage adopted and by whom?

The convention concerning the protection of World Culture and Natural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference on November 16, 1972.

 

8)    What is the Peru’s Machu Picchu example of?

Peru’s Machu Picchu is an example of natural and cultural World Heritage site. It is a mixed World Heritage site.

 

READING COMPREHENSION EXERCISE

 

Task 1:

Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it:

Like many natural and historic cultural sites around the world, many World Heritage Sites are in danger of being destroyed or lost due to war, poaching, natural disasters like earthquakes, uncontrolled urbanization, heavy tourist traffic and environmental factors like air pollution and acid rain. World Heritage Sites that are in danger are inscribed on a separate List of World Heritage Sites in Danger which allows the World Heritage Committee to allocate resources from the World Heritage Fund to that site. In addition, different plans are put into place to protect and/or restore the site. If however, a site loses the characteristics which allowed for it to be originally included on the World Heritage List, the World Heritage Committee can choose to delete the site from the list.

 

1)    What are the possible reasons for the dangers posed to the world heritage sites?

2)    How does a world heritage site lose its world heritage site status?

3)    How does a World Heritage Committee aid to preserve the old heritage sites that are in dangers of being destroyed?

4)    Find at least four words from the passage which are related to Geography subject.

5)    Find the words from the passage which mean:

a)    Assign

b)    Features

c)     To remove

d)    Unchecked or untamed

6)    Do as directed:

a)    In addition, different plans are put into place to protect and/or restore the site. (Add a question tag.)

b)    The World Heritage Committee can delete the site from the World Heritage List. (Rewrite the sentence by beginning it with ‘The site from the World Heritage list ….)

c)     What can be done by the Government of India to preserve the ancient heritage sites in our country? What can you personally do to create awareness regarding the ‘World Heritage Sites’?

7)    Write a summary of the above-mentioned paragraph in not more than 40 words.