Where You Have to Visit Before Climate Change Takes Over | MojoTravels
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Michael Wynands
Our world is changing before our very eyes, and unfortunately, it's not always for the better. Welcome to MojoTravels, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Destinations You Need to Visit Before They Are Destroyed by Climate Change.
For this list, we're looking at popular and unique destinations around the world that are most threatened by climate change. Without a major shift, many of them, or their major attractions, could be lost to future generations.
For this list, we're looking at popular and unique destinations around the world that are most threatened by climate change. Without a major shift, many of them, or their major attractions, could be lost to future generations.
Top 10 Destinations You Need to Visit Before They Are Destroyed by Climate Change
Our world is changing before our very eyes, and unfortunately, it’s not always for the better. Welcome to MojoTravels, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Destinations You Need to Visit Before They Are Destroyed by Climate Change.
For this list, we’re looking at popular and unique destinations around the world that are most threatened by climate change. Without a major shift, many of them, or their major attractions, could be lost to future generations.
#10: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
With its awe-inspiring views, unique topography, and vibrant culture, Rio is one of those destinations that is on every traveler’s bucket list. Unfortunately, visiting Rio de Janeiro might not be a possibility in the near future - at least not Rio as we know it today. Undeniably ,one of the city’s greatest and most enticing features is its beaches, which are world-renowned. Sadly, Rio is predicted to be the city most-affected by climate change in South America, with the major threats taking the form of rising temperatures and flooding. These rapid changes are expected to have a serious impact on both the health of the city’s residents and the environment. From a travel perspective, if the sea rises by 3 inches over the next 80 years as predicted, those beloved beaches are likely to be destroyed.
#9: Bordeaux, France
Whether you’re an oenophile or not, chances are that when you think of quality wine, the Bordeaux region of France is among the first destinations that come to mind. Unfortunately, the world’s most famous wine region is being forced to make drastic and rapid changes for fear of seeing itself disappear from the international wine map. The issue is that with rising temperatures, the traditional grapes aren’t maturing properly. So far, many winemakers have been harvesting earlier to avoid letting the grapes over-ripen. To survive long term, the area needs to develop more heat-resistant grapes. To purists, it’s sacrilege, but climate change leaves the winemakers with little choice. It’s also forcing the regulatory bodies in France that protect the wine industry to reconsider their stringent definitions of what can and cannot be used in the production of Bordeaux wine.
#8: Seychelles
An archipelago of 115 islands found in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, the Seychelles feels like paradise on earth. Sadly, paradise could soon very well be lost. Diving is one of the most popular activities in the Seychelles, in no small part thanks to the incredible coral reefs found there. But large sections of coral have collapsed under the pressure of rising water temperatures, with devastating effects on the local underwater ecosystems. But that’s not the only way in which climate change is threatening the area. With rising ocean levels, the islands themselves are at risk of sinking. Some estimate that the archipelago could find the majority of its land underwater in as little as 50 to 100 years.
#7: The Amazon Rainforest
2019 has seen portions of the Amazon lost to forest fires. It’s been estimated that the number of fires in 2019 is 80% higher in Brazil than the previous year, and the vast majority of them are man-made, motivated by agriculture and commercial deforestation. And with these fires raging, we’re losing important oxygen-producing trees, and burning them is creating massive amounts of smoke, which contributes to climate change. And climate change is a MAJOR issue in the Amazon already. The astonishing biodiversity and ecological marvels of the Amazon are being seriously threatened by our warming planet, including an extended dry season that increases the likelihood and damaging effects of . . . forest fires. These warmer, drier temperatures can also ultimately result in parts of the rainforest slowly turning into dry savanna. The Amazon is under threat.
#6: The Dead Sea
This super-salinated body of water in the Middle East has captivated people throughout history. It’s so salty, in fact, that aquatic animals and plant life simply have no chance of thriving there. But the Dead Sea is at risk of becoming the Dry Sea. Droughts have become a major problem in the area, with rainfall hitting record lows in the area. In the last two decades alone, it’s estimated that the Dead Sea has shrunk by 30%, and the declining water level shows no signs of slowing down. And the main culprit is climate change, with rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns hitting this body of water especially hard.
#5: Glacier National Park, United States
Located in Northwestern Montana along the Canada-U.S. border, Glacier National Park occupies over 1 million acres of land. As far as North America is concerned, Glacier National Park is very important, boasting a huge variety of flora and fauna. Add in over 100 lakes (and those are just the named ones) and you’ve got an incredibly important protected area of wilderness - one of the few places in the continent that can still be described as mostly pristine. Unfortunately, while the park itself has been well-protected from direct destruction, the state of the global climate is taking its toll. Glacier National Park is losing the glaciers from which it takes it name due to the rising global temperature, which is hitting northwestern Montana particularly hard.
#4: Stonehenge
Of all the destinations discussed today, we’re willing to bet that this is the one that most catches you off-guard. Well, as it turns out, this world-renowned landmark was actually built in an incredibly sensitive and rather unique location, one that’s prone to extreme weather. And with the increasing effects of climate change, those effects have only gotten more significant, now making Stonehenge vulnerable to intense storms, heavy rainfall and even flooding according to a UN report. Another often-overlooked factor is how climate can result in shifting behavioral patterns in local wildlife. Warmer winters around the monument may lead to an increase in burrowing creatures choosing to build homes for themselves in the area, which could significantly destabilize the iconic standing stones.
#3: Maldives
Like the Seychelles, the Maldives attracts numerous visitors each year with the promise of stunning beaches and a fascinating and vibrant underwater world waiting to be discovered. Located between Indonesia and Africa, this nation is made up of 26 atolls consisting of 1,190 islands, many uninhabited. But the Maldives sit just 4 feet above sea level, meaning that this captivating collection of islands is at serious risk of succumbing to rising ocean levels. It’s estimated that the entire country could be underwater in as little as 80 years time. The nation is taking major steps to fight rising sea levels, but they need other countries around the world to follow their lead in order to make a serious difference.
#2: Venice. Italy
Poor Venice, it’s really being assaulted on all sides. And that’s a real shame, because it’s truly one of the most uniquely beautiful cities in the world. Venice is absolutely well, inundated with tourists, who crowd its streets to such a degree that it becomes all but impossible to have an authentic experience there. But those complaints might soon be moot, as rising water levels, driven primarily by climate change, threaten the city’s very existence. The city deals with flooding on a yearly basis. Certain infrastructure changes, like the banning of artesian wells, have helped to reduce the rate at which the city is sinking, but there’s little to be done about rising water in general. Now, when the floods come, they reach record levels.
#1: The Great Barrier Reef
The single largest coral reef system in the entire world, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef should be cherished and protected at all costs. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park exists to protect this natural treasure from the external factors that threaten it, but sadly, it’s not enough. Since 1985, the reef has lost approximately half of its coral cover. Translation? Half of the entire reef is dead. And while fishing, pollution and invasive species each pose a threat, climate change is the real killer. Coral is extremely sensitive to water temperatures, and just a few degrees of difference could very well result in the complete destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. So let’s commit to making necessary changes before it’s gone!
Our world is changing before our very eyes, and unfortunately, it’s not always for the better. Welcome to MojoTravels, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Destinations You Need to Visit Before They Are Destroyed by Climate Change.
For this list, we’re looking at popular and unique destinations around the world that are most threatened by climate change. Without a major shift, many of them, or their major attractions, could be lost to future generations.
#10: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
With its awe-inspiring views, unique topography, and vibrant culture, Rio is one of those destinations that is on every traveler’s bucket list. Unfortunately, visiting Rio de Janeiro might not be a possibility in the near future - at least not Rio as we know it today. Undeniably ,one of the city’s greatest and most enticing features is its beaches, which are world-renowned. Sadly, Rio is predicted to be the city most-affected by climate change in South America, with the major threats taking the form of rising temperatures and flooding. These rapid changes are expected to have a serious impact on both the health of the city’s residents and the environment. From a travel perspective, if the sea rises by 3 inches over the next 80 years as predicted, those beloved beaches are likely to be destroyed.
#9: Bordeaux, France
Whether you’re an oenophile or not, chances are that when you think of quality wine, the Bordeaux region of France is among the first destinations that come to mind. Unfortunately, the world’s most famous wine region is being forced to make drastic and rapid changes for fear of seeing itself disappear from the international wine map. The issue is that with rising temperatures, the traditional grapes aren’t maturing properly. So far, many winemakers have been harvesting earlier to avoid letting the grapes over-ripen. To survive long term, the area needs to develop more heat-resistant grapes. To purists, it’s sacrilege, but climate change leaves the winemakers with little choice. It’s also forcing the regulatory bodies in France that protect the wine industry to reconsider their stringent definitions of what can and cannot be used in the production of Bordeaux wine.
#8: Seychelles
An archipelago of 115 islands found in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, the Seychelles feels like paradise on earth. Sadly, paradise could soon very well be lost. Diving is one of the most popular activities in the Seychelles, in no small part thanks to the incredible coral reefs found there. But large sections of coral have collapsed under the pressure of rising water temperatures, with devastating effects on the local underwater ecosystems. But that’s not the only way in which climate change is threatening the area. With rising ocean levels, the islands themselves are at risk of sinking. Some estimate that the archipelago could find the majority of its land underwater in as little as 50 to 100 years.
#7: The Amazon Rainforest
2019 has seen portions of the Amazon lost to forest fires. It’s been estimated that the number of fires in 2019 is 80% higher in Brazil than the previous year, and the vast majority of them are man-made, motivated by agriculture and commercial deforestation. And with these fires raging, we’re losing important oxygen-producing trees, and burning them is creating massive amounts of smoke, which contributes to climate change. And climate change is a MAJOR issue in the Amazon already. The astonishing biodiversity and ecological marvels of the Amazon are being seriously threatened by our warming planet, including an extended dry season that increases the likelihood and damaging effects of . . . forest fires. These warmer, drier temperatures can also ultimately result in parts of the rainforest slowly turning into dry savanna. The Amazon is under threat.
#6: The Dead Sea
This super-salinated body of water in the Middle East has captivated people throughout history. It’s so salty, in fact, that aquatic animals and plant life simply have no chance of thriving there. But the Dead Sea is at risk of becoming the Dry Sea. Droughts have become a major problem in the area, with rainfall hitting record lows in the area. In the last two decades alone, it’s estimated that the Dead Sea has shrunk by 30%, and the declining water level shows no signs of slowing down. And the main culprit is climate change, with rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns hitting this body of water especially hard.
#5: Glacier National Park, United States
Located in Northwestern Montana along the Canada-U.S. border, Glacier National Park occupies over 1 million acres of land. As far as North America is concerned, Glacier National Park is very important, boasting a huge variety of flora and fauna. Add in over 100 lakes (and those are just the named ones) and you’ve got an incredibly important protected area of wilderness - one of the few places in the continent that can still be described as mostly pristine. Unfortunately, while the park itself has been well-protected from direct destruction, the state of the global climate is taking its toll. Glacier National Park is losing the glaciers from which it takes it name due to the rising global temperature, which is hitting northwestern Montana particularly hard.
#4: Stonehenge
Of all the destinations discussed today, we’re willing to bet that this is the one that most catches you off-guard. Well, as it turns out, this world-renowned landmark was actually built in an incredibly sensitive and rather unique location, one that’s prone to extreme weather. And with the increasing effects of climate change, those effects have only gotten more significant, now making Stonehenge vulnerable to intense storms, heavy rainfall and even flooding according to a UN report. Another often-overlooked factor is how climate can result in shifting behavioral patterns in local wildlife. Warmer winters around the monument may lead to an increase in burrowing creatures choosing to build homes for themselves in the area, which could significantly destabilize the iconic standing stones.
#3: Maldives
Like the Seychelles, the Maldives attracts numerous visitors each year with the promise of stunning beaches and a fascinating and vibrant underwater world waiting to be discovered. Located between Indonesia and Africa, this nation is made up of 26 atolls consisting of 1,190 islands, many uninhabited. But the Maldives sit just 4 feet above sea level, meaning that this captivating collection of islands is at serious risk of succumbing to rising ocean levels. It’s estimated that the entire country could be underwater in as little as 80 years time. The nation is taking major steps to fight rising sea levels, but they need other countries around the world to follow their lead in order to make a serious difference.
#2: Venice. Italy
Poor Venice, it’s really being assaulted on all sides. And that’s a real shame, because it’s truly one of the most uniquely beautiful cities in the world. Venice is absolutely well, inundated with tourists, who crowd its streets to such a degree that it becomes all but impossible to have an authentic experience there. But those complaints might soon be moot, as rising water levels, driven primarily by climate change, threaten the city’s very existence. The city deals with flooding on a yearly basis. Certain infrastructure changes, like the banning of artesian wells, have helped to reduce the rate at which the city is sinking, but there’s little to be done about rising water in general. Now, when the floods come, they reach record levels.
#1: The Great Barrier Reef
The single largest coral reef system in the entire world, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef should be cherished and protected at all costs. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park exists to protect this natural treasure from the external factors that threaten it, but sadly, it’s not enough. Since 1985, the reef has lost approximately half of its coral cover. Translation? Half of the entire reef is dead. And while fishing, pollution and invasive species each pose a threat, climate change is the real killer. Coral is extremely sensitive to water temperatures, and just a few degrees of difference could very well result in the complete destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. So let’s commit to making necessary changes before it’s gone!
