A World Monuments Fund study has found that the lack of public funding stands as the biggest threat to global heritage sites.
The report was a byproduct of the nomination process for WMF’s World Monuments Watch list of 2027. Released biennially since 1996, the list aims to put a spotlight on the heritage sites that require attention and funding. The 2027 list has seen 372 nominations, a significant jump from 2025
However, the nomination process also revealed some glaring concerns. Around 65 percent of the nominated heritage sites cited lack of funding and other economic barriers as the primary challenge to the survival of those monuments. This was concerning because public funding – a factor wholly in the control of the institutions – was a bigger danger than climate change and wars. More nominators cited public funding as the biggest issue, both absolutely and proportionally, than in 2025.
In the official statement, WMF president and chief executive Bénédicte de Montlaur said: “This year’s nominations show that pressures on heritage are intensifying as funding, capacity, and expertise struggle to keep pace. According to findings in the UNESCO Global Report on Cultural Policies, only one in four countries has the means to safeguard its heritage. Communities are being asked to do more with less as climate change accelerates, and the skills needed to care for these places are being lost. These findings are a call to action, and they will help guide where our work is needed most.”
