UNESCO recently announced its recommendation for Venice, Italy, to be added to its heritage danger list in wake of a slew of recent weather problems. Venice, one of more than 1,000 UNESCO World Heritage sites, was placed on the heritage danger list after advisory body experts met and agreed on its status.

Weather and tourism issues lie at the core of threats to Venice. This past February, the city faced such a severe drought, even gondolas, ambulances and water taxis were unable to pass through some canals. And just four years earlier, Venice endured flooding so bad, historical buildings were endangered.

In addition to weather incidents, overtourism continues to be a problem in Venice. The city has attempted to ban large ships from entering San Marco Basin – Giudecca Canal, but additional efforts are required to protect the city.

This September, a committee of 21 UNESCO member states will meet in Riyadh to review more than 200 sites to determine which must be added to the heritage danger list. Experts already recommended sites like Timbuktu in Mali; the historic center of Odessa in Ukraine; and sites in Iraq, Syria and Libya, be added to the list.