surreal places that are you need to visit soon before they disappear
in as little as a few decades:Places to Visit Before they Disappear
1. Venice, Italy
The ultimate place for romance with divine gondolas, grand canals, palazzos & cathedrals is in severe danger of being submerged by 2050. Every year the increasing sea levels cause floods further weakening the wooden foundation of many buildings.
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2. The Barrier Coral Reef
Adorning the Australian coastline, the largest coral reef stretching over 2300 k.ms houses over 5000 unique marine species. It is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms and can be seen from outer space. Various environmental factors like rising ocean temperatures, water pollution, ocean acidification, and cyclones are causing the 8000-year-old cliffs to be eroded steadily & destroyed in less than 100 years.
3. Maldives
Extending the promise of unrivaled luxury, stunning glistening sandy beaches and some of the best retreats, the Republic of Maldives is one of the most coveted tourist destinations. However, it is also the lowest-lying country of the world, with 80% of islands nearly at sea level and hence, stands in the greatest danger of submergence due to global warming & tsunami in the future.
4. The Dead Sea
The lowest point on earth, also known for its salty waters (8 times higher than the ocean) that enables anyone to float in it because of its natural buoyancy. It is a site of both nature & history. The sea is said to recede by almost 3 feet every year due to evaporation, potash mining & drawing of water from river Jordan (source) by neighboring countries.
5. Galapagos Islands
Situated in the Pacific, these islands are a rich spot of living biodiversity. Acknowledged by UNESCO as ‘living museum & showcase of evolution’, these islands are home to about 9000 species, three-quarters of which are rare and are not found anywhere else in the world. The rise in careless and excessive tourism and the disturbance caused by migrant settlers to islands is threatening the extinction of native species.
6. The Alps
The dreamy snow-capped mountains that are famous skiing & hiking destinations as well as apt movie shooting backgrounds are losing almost 3% of their glacial ice every year due to global warming and are believed by experts to totally disappear around 2050.
7. Glacier National Park, Montana
A hiker’s paradise, this one in a million locations that once housed more than 150 glaciers, has fewer than 25 today. Global warming & subsequent climate changes have led to a severe disruption of the ecosystem, which might lead them to disappear around 2030.
8. Madagascar
The land of natural & biological richness, Madagascar has been mesmerizing scores of people through its bewildering array of wildlife and beautiful fairy tale surroundings. Once home to 250,000 species, 70% of which are unique to the island, deforestation, logging & poaching is causing destruction of this paradise and its inhabitants.
9. Patagonia
A land of ethereal beauty, South America’s Patagonia stands in danger of being severely altered by climate change. The majority of its glaciers are retreating due to rising temperatures due to global warming & lower precipitation, changing the landscape beyond recognition & also harming the flora & fauna in turn.
10. Olympia, Greece
As the world prepares for the 29th Olympic Games this year, Olympia, the birthplace of this stellar initiative is struggling to survive on the map. Rising summer temperatures & lack of proper care have caused huge wildfires in the city, destroying the natural & historical heritage around.
11. Sunder Bans, India
The lush green mangrove forests along the India Bangladesh border are the natural habitat of many endangered species particularly the famed Royal Bengal Tiger. The rising sea levels & the continuous floods coupled with deforestation & poaching are already submerging some parts of the region. Experts say that unless drastic measures are taken this UNESCO heritage site may soon be completely submerged.
12. Great Wall of China
One of seven wonders of the world, this gigantic wall extends around 5500 miles from east to west China. With a history of over 2000 years, this wall has been guarding the Chinese borders across grasslands, deserts, mountains, riverbanks & plateaus. Around two-thirds of the walls have been eroded due to the frequent sandstorms and years of decay and with the same rate are expected to disappear in the next 20 years.
13. Alaska, USA
The beautiful & distinctive Alaskan tundra is twice as much vulnerable to global warming as compared to the rest of the world. Drastic climate change has also led to the thawing of the region’s permafrost, which not only damages surrounding infrastructure but also releases additional carbon- hastening up global warming severely.
14. Socotra, Yemen
Isolated Socotra, the legendary island of Yemen 220 miles away, is home to a plethora of extraordinary plants and animals uniquely adapted to the hot, harsh, windswept island. The long geological isolation and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular flora. Climate change like a reduction in mist and cloud cover is endangering the indigenous species of the island, which are in the severe danger of extinction.
15. Machu Picchu, Peru
The Peruvian lost city of Inca’s has become one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions in the last century. The unbridled rise in tourism, environmental degradation, and the expansion of adjoining towns, among other factors, are irrevocably leading to the downfall of this enigmatic site.
It’s a shocking truth that these astoundingly beautiful natural sights are on the verge of complete disappearance. While you’re helpless and have little to do when it comes to its salvage, you still have a chance to get a glimpse of Mother Nature’s some of the most magnificent creations in their purest form, which probably for the coming generation would be just a once-upon-a-time luxury.
