10 Places You Need to Visit Before They Disappear!

The media informs us so often about changes in the climate and landscape of the Earth related to human activity that we have stopped attaching much importance to it. Global warming - they have been talking about it for decades, but we do not feel it, the rise in the level of the World Ocean is somehow far from us and is not perceived as a danger.

Meanwhile, there are a large number of beautiful corners of our planet that are being affected by these changes in a huge and detrimental way.

We have compiled a list of places that are the jewels of our planet and that we risk losing due to global warming, industrial influence or large-scale tourist activity.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

According to many scientists, This beautiful once snow-white mausoleum has no more than 5 years left. There are several reasons for this: pollution of the Yamuna River, which washes the foundation of the Taj Mahal, has led to the foundation beams beginning to rot, and endless tourists are damaging the marble floor and walls of the structure.
At the request of UNESCO, the mausoleum may be closed to visitors in the near future.

Glaciers of Antarctica

After analyzing images from NASA satellites, scientists have concluded that the rate of melting of Antarctic glaciers over the past 10 years has become simply catastrophic. Since 2003, the ice has become almost a meter thinner in some areas, and hills can already be seen in place of the ice mountains. The situation is aggravated by meltwater, which, by washing away, destroys the glaciers faster than warming.
In order to at least somehow reduce the impact on nature, the number of cruises in the Antarctic region has been reduced, and in the near future they are planned to be banned altogether.

Yangtze River Basin, China

The construction of a giant dam, shipping, industrial and agricultural waste, and deforestation are all leading to the death of the flora and fauna of the Yangtze River.
The Chinese sturgeon, finless porpoise, and Chinese alligator are all rare species found in the Yangtze River and are on the verge of extinction.

Maldives

The 1,190 islands and atolls of the Maldives archipelago are located entirely at sea level (the highest point of the islands is 2.4 meters). Due to the melting of glaciers, the water level in the World Ocean is rising, and this threatens the complete flooding of the Maldives.
The government is preparing for the flood by buying land and houses for its citizens on the mainland (mostly in India).

Great Barrier Reef

Increasing water acidity, a large influx of tourists, and global warming are all factors that are destroying the Great Barrier Reef. But the situation is worsened by tropical hurricanes and starfish that feed on coral polyps. From 1985 to 2013, more than 50 % of the total massif died, and in another 10 years, only a quarter may remain.
Scientists still don’t know how to combat hurricanes and global warming, but they can carry out biological control and reduce the population of starfish.

Dead Sea

Since 1970, the water level in the Dead Sea has dropped by 30 meters. The reason for this is primarily the extraction of minerals in the sea and the use of 80 % tributaries flowing into the sea.
The sea disappears, leaving behind karst sinkholes on the emerging land areas, which negatively affect the ecosystem of coastal areas.
To save the Dead Sea, it is planned to bring a canal from the Red Sea to it, but in this case, the composition of the water and the previous appearance of the salty reservoir will never be the same as before.

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are home to nearly 10,000 rare species of animals, and it was a visit to this archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin to work on his theory of evolution.
Unfortunately, the endless flow of tourists, poachers, and cruise ships passing along the islands has led to the fact that the islands' ecosystem is in a deplorable state and many representatives of flora and fauna are under threat of extinction.

Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

The reservoirs of this beautiful US park, which is home to dozens of rare species of animals, are drying up because the water is pumped out for nearby farms and cities.
The wetlands that occupy a large area of the park are polluted with waste and their ecosystem is collapsing.
Since 1900, the park's territory has been reduced by half, and animals such as the Florida panther (the Everglades is the only habitat of this species), turtles, and manatees are on the verge of extinction.

Angara River, Russia

The once cleanest river in the world could disappear from the face of the Earth, turning into a long chain of dirty reservoirs filled with oil spills, mercury and copper compounds. In some areas, it is already not recommended to eat fish caught in the river.
Due to the poor ecology in the Angara region, sterlet, sturgeon, taimen, as well as the unique Angara pine forests - the pride of Siberia - are on the verge of extinction.

Venice, Italy

Venice is sinking - the water level is rising by 1 millimeter per year, and by 2100 the city could disappear completely. The large number of tourists adds fuel to the fire: 60,000 per day instead of the norm that the ancient city can withstand, 30,000. Cruise ship waves are also destructive for Venice - they wash away the foundations.
They are trying to save one of the most beautiful cities on the planet - they have banned cruise ships from entering the central part, they are planning to introduce restrictions on the number of tourists, but the sea, which once gave Venice wealth and prosperity, continues to destroy it.

It is sad that in a few decades our descendants will be able to see all these places only in colorful photographs on the Internet. Saving the planet on a global scale is, of course, the work of special organizations, professionals and entire countries, but AdMe.ru believes that everyone can make their own small contribution to the common cause, for example, by remaining a cultural tourist during trips to historical places, trips to nature, and also by wisely using natural resources.
Source: http://www.adme.ru/svoboda-puteshestviya/10-mest-kotorye-nado-posetit-poka-oni-ne-ischezli-1208760/