Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, a World-Heritage area) is under threat from planned coal-mining expansion - specifically plans to build the world’s largest coal export shipping terminals right on the reef.
Similarly, the DRC's Virunga National Park is coming under threat from companies wanting to drill for oil. This park is UNESCO's oldest world heritage site. Turning such a sensitive and ecologically important area into an industrial zone has obvious enormous environmental consequences.
Greenpeace Africa volunteers went to the UNESCO offices in Pretoria to talk to representatives about how and why UNESCO needs to act to protect these areas.