联合国教科文组织公布濒危世界遗产名单

Being listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List often brings an economic boom to the region in terms of the flow of tourists. However poor maintenance and neglect also bring with it the risk of being placed on another list. At the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, while some sites were added to the World Heritage List, others were added to the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981 and has been the country's top tourist site. However, poor coastal management has led to a depletion of coral at an alarming rate.

At the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, UNESCO warned that unless the Great Barrier Reef was managed properly, it risked being placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Australia has been given 12 months to ensure improvement.

Still not everyone has been offered a second chance.

The committee placed the City of Potosi in Bolivia on its list of World Heritage in Danger due to "uncontrolled mining operations". Potosi is one of the highest cities in the world.

"The List of World Heritage Site in Danger serves as a warning. If you're simply after economic revenue and not sustainable development, you could be removed from the heritage list to the list of world heritage in danger,"said Guo Zhan, vice president of International Council on Monuments and Sites.

Being placed on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger helps raise global awareness to improve the situation. The Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and the Ruins of Songo Mnara in Tanzania were placed on the list in 2004.

And now, after a decade of restoration and preservation by the Tanzanian government and help from the international community, it's been officially removed from the list.

So far China has a total of 47 items listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, second only to Italy.