Welcome to

UNESCO's interactive visual

Living heritage and threats

Designed on an experimental basis, this interactive visual is intended to highlight the phenomena that threaten the elements of intangible cultural heritage inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. By studying the nomination files, UNESCO identified 46 of them which are often referred to as ‘risks’ or ‘threats’. For easier navigation, these phenomena have been grouped into nine categories: the one in the centre (‘Weakened practice and transmission’) corresponds to symptoms of endangered heritage, and the others to underlying factors, threats or risks. Select a ‘threat’ to see how it impacts the related elements; select an element to see which factors affect its viability.

More info on how to use this interface