Poland, this year’s Unesco host, also faced a warning for allowing logging in its ancient Bialowieza Forest, which already has world heritage status. KAZAKHSTAN MONGOLIA KYRGYZSTAN CHINA TAJIKISTAN PAKISTAN Hoh Xil Region QINGHAI PROVINCE TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION TIBETAN PLATEAU INDIA NEPAL BHUTAN 500 Miles KAZAKHSTAN MONGOLIA CHINA Hoh Xil Region QINGHAI TIBET TIBETAN PLATEAU INDIA 500 MilesChina’s government has actively sought Unesco’s designations for various sites since its first application 30 years ago. If Unesco accepts two new applications under consideration, China could become the country with the most heritage sites, surpassing Italy, which has 51. The International Campaign for Tibet’s argument is that China’s designation of Hoh Xil would erode, not protect, the area’s fragile ecosystem. The report also complained that China’s application exempted a two-and-a-half-mile-wide corridor in which a highway and railway bisect the region, allowing unfettered development.

Source: New York Times July 06, 2017 16:32 UTC