Hey there collegiettes! If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing Venice by gondola, drinking espresso at a cute, local café, or feeding pigeons in St. Mark’s square while admiring the cathedral, you should probably start saving your pennies and planning your trip soon. Due to the rapidly changing climate, Venice is now considered a threatened location—experts estimate that in twenty years it will have sunk over three inches. The sinking of the city, combined with the major floods that have happened in recent years have left many people wondering how long the City of Bridges can stay above water. Considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice is a popular tourist destination, and is predicted to become even more popular due to its endangered status. This so-called “last chance tourism” is on the rise—people want to visit vulnerable locations before they are gone or changed forever. Here’s a list of four other popular tourist destinations that are currently at risk.
1. The Great Barrier Reef
As the climate warms, so do the oceans, which has caused the tiny organisms that live in coral and give it its coloring and food to die, resulting in coral bleaching. The death of the corals is changing the whole ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef and causing many native creatures to lose their habitats and food sources. In addition to the climate change, overfishing, pollution, and boat traffic have caused the world’s largest coral reef to become an endangered location.
2. The Amazon Rainforest
Home to the mightiest river in the world and twenty percent of the planet’s biodiversity, the Amazon rainforest is one of the most popular destinations for tourists. However, due to rapid deforestation and logging, the world’s largest rainforest is put at a major risk. As it is depleted, it is also more vulnerable to forest fires and other issues, including the death of many species.
3. The Dead Sea
In the last forty years, the Dead Sea has sunk eighty inches and decreased in size by a third! Restaurants and spas that used to stand on the shore are now almost a mile’s walk from the water. The lake’s sole source, the Jordan River, has been used increasingly as a water source for neighboring countries and little of it now reaches the Dead Sea. Also problematic are the cosmetic companies that have been draining it for its minerals and experts estimate the lake could be completely gone in fifty years.
4. The Florida Everglades
The 2.5 million acre wetland is home to many unique Floridian trees and endangered animals such as manatees, turtles, sand hill cranes, and the Florida Panther. However, due to many problems, including development, invasive species, and the diversion of more than half the region’s water for farm use, the Everglades are now half the size they were in 1900.