{
  "id": 3791385,
  "title": "More than 380 coastal World Heritage Sites may face climate risks, new data shows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/more-than-380-coastal-world-heritage-sites-may-face-climate-risks-new",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-27T18:20:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/more-than-380-coastal-world-heritage-sites-may-face-climate-risks-new-data-shows/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Coastal engineer Robert Nicholls, inspired by his Ph.D. research on Hurst Castle Spit in England, has co-developed a groundbreaking global dataset highlighting the susceptibility of UNESCO World Heritage Sites along coastlines to climate change and weather-related threats. The dataset, published in the journal Scientific Data, covers over 386 coastal locations and spans more than 235 million hectares (approximately 581 million acres). These sites encompass a diverse range of cultural landmarks, biocultural sites with ecological and cultural significance, unique ecosystems, biodiversity hotspots, and geological wonders. Professor Nicholls, a climate adaptation expert at the University of East Anglia, expressed surprise at the sheer number of coastal sites included in the database. He emphasizes that the findings underscore the urgent need for local authorities to develop strategies to enhance the resilience of these invaluable natural and cultural treasures in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges. The dataset can serve as a valuable tool for assessing vulnerabilities and implementing targeted mitigation measures to protect these irreplaceable assets for future generations.",
  "summary": "Whenever coastal engineer Robert Nicholls looks outside one of his home’s windows, he can see the Hurst Castle Spit on the south coast of England slowly eroding across the sea. “In a way, Hurst Castle is a part of me, because I did all my Ph.D. work on the spit.” Although this particular castle doesn’t […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}