Moon placed on World Monuments Watch for the first time
Along with historic sites in 29 countries
The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has unveiled its 2025 World Monuments Watch, an advocacy programme highlighting 25 culturally significant sites worldwide facing urgent challenges. These sites span 29 countries and five continents and are confronted with climate change, conflict, tourism pressures, and natural disasters.
Notably, the 2025 Watch includes the Moon for the first time, acknowledging the preservation needs of historic lunar artefacts from humanity’s first steps beyond Earth.
The Watch is a biennial, nomination-based initiative that seeks to mobilise international action and support for preserving endangered heritage. Since its inception in 1996, it has supported over 700 preservation projects globally, contributing over $120 million to site safeguarding. The programme has also facilitated additional funding of $300 million from external sources.
Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of WMF, said: “The 2025 Watch underscores our commitment to ensuring heritage preservation is not only about honouring the past but also about fostering a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for communities across the globe—and even beyond, to the Moon.”
Diverse challenges
The 2025 Watch highlights the pressing challenges faced by diverse regions.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the primary concern is the impact of climate change on heritage sites, while Asia and the Pacific face rapid urbanisation. In Europe and North America, insufficient funding and preservation resources are critical issues, while in Latin America and the Caribbean, tourism pressure threatens the sustainability of key sites. Conflict and natural disasters dominate concerns in the Middle East and North Africa.
Some of the most notable sites on the 2025 Watch include Gaza’s Historic Urban Fabric, which has been severely impacted by ongoing conflict; Ukraine’s Teacher’s House in Kyiv, which suffered extensive damage during the Russia-Ukraine war; and the Swahili Coast in East Africa, where rising sea levels and coastal erosion threaten centuries-old cultural heritage.
New lunar heritage
For the first time in the Watch’s history, the Moon is included as a heritage site. WMF aims to bring attention to preserving the artefacts left on the lunar surface during the Apollo missions, such as the camera used to capture the famous moon landing and the memorial disk left by astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin.
As lunar activities accelerate, these historic items face mounting risks without adequate preservation protocols. The Moon’s inclusion on the Watch stresses the need for proactive international collaboration to safeguard humanity’s shared legacy in space.
De Montlaur noted, “The Moon on the Watch inclusion calls for international agreements to protect lunar heritage. These sites are integral to our collective narrative and should be preserved for future generations.”
Cultural heritage
Several sites included in the 2025 Watch highlight the role of cultural heritage in fostering resilience in the face of conflict and natural disasters. The Kyiv Teacher’s House, a symbol of Ukrainian independence, was severely damaged in 2022 during the war with Russia. Its inclusion underscores the importance of preserving heritage to promote unity and morale in a time of war.
Gaza’s historic urban fabric, which includes mosques, markets, and churches vital to the region’s cultural identity, has also been devastated by the ongoing conflict. Its place on the Watch highlights the need for recovery efforts that use heritage to anchor collective memory and rebuild a sense of community.
The Historic City of Antakya in Turkey, which suffered severe damage from the 2023 earthquakes, is another example of how heritage can serve as the foundation for post-disaster recovery. The inclusion of Antakya on the Watch calls for widespread support to restore its historic centre, which could also contribute to the social and economic revitalisation of the area.
Climate change
The impact of climate change is evident in the Swahili Coast, which spans several East African countries, including Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania. The region’s ancient coastal sites, such as Lamu Old Town and Fort Jesus, face rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events. The 2025 Watch highlights the urgent need for adaptive strategies to protect these valuable heritage sites.
Rising sea levels and intensifying storm surges in the United States threaten Maine’s historic lighthouses. These iconic maritime structures are essential to the state’s coastal identity and economy, yet they require immediate preservation efforts to ensure their survival.
Tourism and under-tourism
The 2025 Watch also draws attention to the challenges posed by tourism. The Buddhist Grottoes of Maijishan and Yungang in China, renowned for their ancient cave temples, face increased pressure from mass tourism. WMF aims to collaborate with local teams to develop sustainable visitor management strategies that balance preservation with economic benefits.
In contrast, the Monasteries of the Drino Valley in Albania face under-tourism. These ancient sites, rich in cultural and artistic significance, could benefit from increased tourism, provided they are managed sustainably to support heritage preservation and local communities.
Looking ahead
Through the World Monuments Watch, WMF seeks to raise global awareness of these endangered sites and mobilise support for their preservation. Over the next two years, the organisation will collaborate with local communities and international partners to design and implement strategies for protecting and restoring these sites.
As part of this effort, WMF has already secured $2 million in funding for projects at Watch sites and has partnered with global hospitality leader Accor to support sustainable tourism initiatives at select sites.
Image: Teacher’s House in central Kyiv, before sustaining damage in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. Credit: WMF
Last Updated on 1 day by Arnold Pinto
