GalA??’A‚A?pagos Added To UNESCO's List Of World Heritage In Danger

The World Heritage Committee today inscribed the GalA??’A‚A?pagos (Ecuador), and Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal) on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger with a view to mobilizing support for their conservation. Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent, the 19 islands of the GalA??’A‚A?pagos and their surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique living museum and showcase of evolution. They are threatened by invasive species, growing tourism and immigration. The number of days spent by passengers of cruise ships has increased by 150 percent over the past 15 years, for example. This increase has fuelled a growth in immigration and the ensuing inter-island traffic has led to the introduction of more invasive species. Inscribed in 1978, the GalA??’A‚A?pagos is the first site to have been placed on the World Heritage List. Its boundaries were extended in 2001...