Victoria Falls Reportedly Risks Losing World Heritage Status

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has warned that plans by the governments of Zimbabwe and Zambia for the development of a golf course, lodges and a hydroelectric dam near the Victoria Falls will put the renowned tourist destination at risk of losing the world heritage site status it was granted in 1989, The Times reports.

A report composed by Unesco officials who visited the site for five days cites the "inconsistency in the use of precise boundaries and buffer zones" with regard to plans by authorities in Lusaka and Harare. 

The Unesco officials also called for the development of a 300-bed hotel complex on the Zambian side to be stopped. Additionally, the team slammed an apparent lack of full transparency regarding projects on both sides of the Zambezi river which allegedly fuel local rumours of corruption. The delegation concluded their visit stating that the Falls' special status "could be considered to be in danger in the near future".