-
(#2) Great Wall of China
- Tourist attraction
At the moment, the Great Wall of China is suffering the combined effects of climate change and human activity. While mining activities have collapsed one 2,300-foot span, another section has been eroded by severe weather.
The section of the wall, built during the Han Dynasty (221 BC - 207 BC), was constructed using packed-earth bricks, and it is now crumbling. Intense sand storms have also cracked what little remains of that portion of the wall.
Much of the destruction of the wall not attributed to humans is widely believed to be the result of climate change, and scientists are trying to come up with solutions to preserve the massive World Heritage Site. So far, ideas include programs to plant trees to prevent powerful sandstorms, and also burying the portions of the wall that are most at risk in order to save them.
-
(#4) Angkor Wat
- Temple
The city of Angkor was once the largest city in the "pre-industrial" world, with over one million inhabitants. Today, the massive temple complex of the Cambodian jungle outside Siem Reap is the darling of Hollywood, featured in movies like Tomb Raider. It attracts millions of visitors every year, but the buildings have been slowly falling apart for years.
Through an impressively complex system of canals and irrigation channels, the city was built around water. However, at one point in th 1400s, it was hit by a drought, followed by heavy monsoon rains and massive floods.
It represents a climate change lesson: once the weather changed and they were hit with floods, the system they had been using for hundreds of years failed and the city essentially collapsed. They failed to adapt to the forces of their changing climate, and the ancient city lays in ruins today because of it.
-
(#1) Everglades
- Geographical Feature
The problem of rising tides is affecting many low-lying regions around the world. Since the Everglades National Park sits on the tip of the Florida Peninsula, surrounded by ocean on three sides, it is extremely susceptible to these rising sea levels.
The change in sea level won't just potentially submerge parts of the park's land. The Everglades have a balance of fresh water in the inland areas and saline (salt) water in the outer regions that border the ocean. Because of the rising tides (coupled with human encroachment), the saline areas have expanded and thrown of the balance of plant and animal species.
-
(#8) Taj Mahal
- Mughal architecture
The Taj Mahal has been fighting an uphill battle against pollution for years, with acid rain wearing away at the building and air pollutants turning the beautiful marble facade from white to yellow.
To make things worse, the Yamuna River that runs alongside the Taj Mahal is starting to lose volume. The water keeps the wooden foundation of the complex saturated, which is essential for its physical stability. The more temperatures rise, the water levels will continue to drop and potentially endanger this 400-year-old treasure.
-
(#7) Ganges
- River
There are hundreds of rivers around the world that have been either drying up or overflowing due to disruptions in climate. Many of these rivers are critical for the survival of the people that live near them, and as some of them dry up they are devastating nearby regions.
The three largest and most critical rivers that have begun to dry up are the Ganges (India), Niger (West Africa), and Yellow (China). The Niger River levels are a huge concern for many West African countries today, as it has been enduring prolonged droughts and more concentrated and heavy periods of rain. With those changes in conditions, the process of water management becomes much more difficult for the surrounding human settlements.
-
(#9) Dead Sea
- Lake
The Dead Sea holds information about climate change in the past, going back hundreds of thousands of years. Samples taken from below the sea bed have revealed catastrophic conditions caused by rising temperatures, and scientists are now concerned that history might repeat itself.
As temperatures in the region rise, water evaporates at an ever-faster rate from the sea. This puts a high amount of strain on the surrounding countries that rely on it for a water source, often leading to physical conflict.
New Random Displays Display All By Ranking
About This Tool
Scientists once asserted that if the global climate continues to warm at the current rate, then the Amazon River, the Himalayas, and the other natural or man-made wonders of the world will all face destruction. The Valdivian rainforest, one of the largest rainforests in the world, is likely to disappear due to continuous forest fires. There is no doubt that climate change is one of the main challenges of modern times.
Climate change has had an unprecedented impact on a global scale. If human beings have not taken effective environmental protection measures, our descendants may only be able to see these wonders in books, photos, or videos. The random tool lists 10 great natural or man-made wonders that are being destroyed by climate change.
Our data comes from Ranker, If you want to participate in the ranking of items displayed on this page, please click here.