[magicsmoke]

Exactly, does getting designated a world heritage site mean getting UN funding to preserve it and make up the opportunity cost of not selling it? If not, it's just wealthier countries patting themselves on the back for being such good custodians of world heritage while pushing the actual unseen costs onto the economically impoverished.

If someone actually cares enough about the site, raise the money to buy it up and preserve it however you like.

[adrianN]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site#Consequenc...

> A listed site gains international recognition and legal protection, and can obtain funds from among others the World Heritage Fund to facilitate its conservation under certain conditions.

[TheSpiceIsLife]

That doesn’t address the question of lost opportunity cost.

[TheSpiceIsLife]

> If someone actually cares enough about the site, raise the money to buy it up and preserve it however you like.

This is what has happened.

It’s going to be preserved as an open cut iron ore mine.