A new assessment by IUCN finds that across Asia, climate change — not hunting — is now the biggest threat to many natural heritage and biodiversity sites. According to the 2025 World Heritage Outlook 4, about 43% of natural World Heritage sites globally now face “high” or “very high” climate-linked risks, a dramatic rise from 33% five years ago.
In Asia, the shift in primary pressures is stark. Where hunting once topped the list, today rising temperatures, extreme weather, glacier melt, coral bleaching and ecosystem disruption are taking their toll. Tourism, invasive alien species and expanding infrastructure — such as new roads and railways — now also rank among the most serious threats.
The report underscores that sites like Western Ghats, Manas National Park and Sundarbans National Park in India are now placed in the “Significant Concern” category — not primarily due to poaching or deforestation, but because of climate-linked degradation.
Conservation experts warn the findings should serve as a wake-up call: urgent action — including climate adaptation, stricter protection, ecological restoration, and sustainable tourism — is needed to safeguard Asia’s natural heritage before it’s too late.
