UNESCO strips Liverpool of its world heritage status

What is the News?

The English city of Liverpool has been removed from UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

When was Liverpool added to UNESCO World Heritage Site?

• Liverpool was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, joining cultural landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Why has it been removed from the World Heritage Site list ?

• Liverpool has been removed from UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites because of developments in the city center and on its historic River Mersey waterfront.
• These developments have caused irreversible damage to Liverpool’s authenticity.

Impact of this move on Liverpool:

• The World Heritage Site label gives historic sites access to UN conservation funding, as well as featuring in tourist guidebooks across the world. This will not be available for Liverpool now.

Significance of this move:

• Liverpool city is only the third place to be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• The only other sites stripped previously of the title are a wildlife sanctuary in Oman in 2007 after poaching and habitat loss. Another one is the Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany in 2009 when a four-lane motorway bridge was built over the river.