In the face of the potential damage that accelerated urban development and climate change may inflict on cultural heritage, establishing partnerships to protect these assets is essential to fostering a sustainable future.

The remarks were made by Michael Yeoh, president of Malaysia-based think tank KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific. In his welcoming speech at Thursday's Forum on Cultural Heritage Conservation, Yeoh said that the rapid pace of development and industrialization poses risks to cultural sites, making their protection a pressing challenge today.

A case study by UNESCO, for instance, shows that Venice had been sinking at a rate of about 10 centimeters per century due to natural subsidence. In the last century, the city experienced additional decline of 10 cm to 13 cm as nearby industries pumped groundwater from deep aquifers. "This process ended in the 1970s, but irreversible damage has already been done," the study reads.