Venice may end up on the list of endangered World Heritage Sites. "Continuous development, climate change impacts, and mass tourism risk causing irreversible changes to Venice's exceptional universal value," according to the World Heritage Centre, a division of UNESCO, which "recommends its inclusion on the list of World Heritage Sites in danger." This yesterday's recommendation, if it is to be implemented, must be voted on by the UN body's member states in September. It is not the first time Venice has been on this list; it was on it two years ago, but the worst was avoided, despite the fact that the city has long struggled with the effects of climate change. This advice is especially pertinent in light of the recent bad weather in much of northern Italy, which included violent thunderstorms, flooding, hail, and storms.
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