The atlas, produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with UNESCO, highlights sites which face a range of threats, from pillaging to natural disasters, pollution, mass tourism and armed conflict.

The atlas was launched by Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova and United States Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion.

According to a news release issued by UNESCO, From Space to Place, An Image Atlas of World Heritage Sites on the ‘In Danger’ List, seeks to provide valuable information about the development of the sites.

In recent years, satellite images have become an important tool for world heritage site managers to track the evolution of wildlife habitats, human encroachment and agricultural activity, and damages caused by climate change.

To make the most of this technology UNESCO has established partnerships with leading space agencies such as NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and agencies in France and Germany.