Top 10 Places to See Before They Disappear

Nowadays, we barely stop and stare at the sunset, admire the flowers in bloom or even enjoy a moment with nature. It’s when something so majestic and mysterious is about to disappear, that’s the time we start caring.

A lot of places are already doomed to vanish because of man’s abuse of nature. As you read the article, hopefully, this raises awareness in the raw beauty of Mother Nature and leaves you doing something in return.

Here are 10 places to see before they disappear.

Galapagos Islands

Dubbed as a one of a kind “living museum and showcase of evolution”, the Galapagos Islands and its nearby marine reserve are located approximately 1,000 kilometres off the coast of South America. What makes it unique is that it’s located at the convergence of 3 ocean bodies, making it a “melting pot” of marine life.

Nature has beautifully created a masterpiece through the continuing volcanic and seismic activity. With the islands’ seclusion, the Galapagos formulated the developing extraordinary animal life; like the giant tortoise, land iguana and many other species of finch, all which instigated the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin.

The fundamental threats to the islands are increased tourism, illegal fishing and some governance concerns, invasive species and demographic growth.

The Maldives

The Maldives Republic (more commonly known as The Maldives Islands), is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean. Known as the smallest country in Asia by land area and population, the Maldives consists of 1,192 coral islands that add up to more than 80% of the total land area.

Included as one of the most endangered nations in the world, the Maldives continue to struggle against massive flooding due to climate change. In fact, its president Mohamed Nasheed cried for help sometime in March and April 2012, stating that if carbon emissions increase at the rate they are today, the Maldives will sink in 7 years time.

Great Barrier Reef

One of Australia’s prides and among the 7 wonders of the new world, the Great Barrier is graced with a mouth-dropping perfection as the largest coral reef in the world. It is rich in marine life, with more than 3,000 individual coral rays and reef systems, hundreds of scenic tropical islands, and some of the most divine and golden beaches you will ever see.

Now, the reef is fighting against 5 pending port developments brought on by Australia’s mining industry.

Venice

Known as a city of exceptional architecture and sheer works of genius, Venice floats with 118 islands in the lagoon waters. The place contains history back to the since 5^th century AD, and also hold the works artists, such as Tintoretto, Giorgione, and Titian.

Threats to its integrity include industrialisation, which requires the city to transform and adjust with the times, increased tourism and the rising sea levels due to global warming.

The Dead Sea

Also known as the Salt Sea, the Dead Sea is considered as the lowest point and the deepest hypersaline lake on Earth. Its high saline waters are known for its therapeutic effect. Therefore, tourism in the area is on the increase.

“The Dead Sea is dying”, as the Dead Sea now suffers from various threats of industrialisation. It is divided into two parts, where the northern part is sinking due to mining and the southern part is overflowing due to millions of tons of salt dumped at the water floor.

Currently, Israel is devising a plan to transport the southern salt and send it to the northern part.

The Alps

Recognized as the tallest and youngest mountain system in Europe, The Alps covers an area of 1,000 km and is divided into 3 regions – the west, centre, and east.

The people of the Alps mainly rely on farming as their source of livelihood. However, due to increased tourism and industrialisation, pollution in the air and water has now increased, along with the destruction of forests and slope erosion.

Madagascar

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and was originally part of Africa, but it detached from the continent about 50 million years ago. The island is bathed with lagoons, coral beaches, pristine rivers, and mountainous massifs.

With its isolation, it has supported abundant and diverse wildlife that includes the legendary “living fossil” called Coelacanth. Now, the wildlife it struggles to protect is declining due to the destruction of natural habitats and deliberate killing.

The Congo Basin

The Congo Basin is one of the most crucial and vast wilderness areas on the face of the planet, covering a total of 500 million acres and holds the title the world’s second-largest tropical forest.

It is beaming with life as it continues to nurture various natural resources, a mosaic of animals, plants, landforms and bodies of water. However, due to the abusive ways of extracting resources, with the addition of the illegal wildlife trade, the Congo Basin is feared to disappear soon.

Glacier National Park

As the centre of one of the most untouched and vast ecosystems in North America, Glacier National Park consists alpine lakes, grizzly bears, mountain goats and rocky peaks.

Protected and preserved to this day, Glacier National Park continues to wow visitors from around the world. However, like all other parks in the world, Glacier is also in peril as it struggles against air pollution, global warming, and outside threats mainly due to industrialisation, and perhaps, even a lack of funding to protect its integrity.

Taj Mahal

A structure born our of sheer love for an emperor’s wife, the Taj Mahal remained an icon of Muslim Art in India and continues to leave the whole world in awe as its white marble facade flushes pink at dawn, burns orange at sunset and shimmers silver under the moonlight. The Indian government continues to protect and preserve of the structure, amidst the constant threats and effects of industrialisation.