The World Monuments Fund (WMF) announced its 2008 World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites today. This year’s list highlights buildings and other heritage sites that are threatened by political conflict, unchecked development, and, for the first time, climate change.

Two places, much in the world’s headlines, made this year’s list for different reasons. New Orleans was cited for the ongoing risk that climate change presents to its future. “Historic neighborhoods, already pummeled by Hurricane Katrina, are now struggling to restore homes while also preparing for future challenges posed by rising sea levels and the likelihood of stronger storms,” the WMF writes. Iraq, meanwhile, also earned a spot on the list: “Ongoing conflict has led to catastrophic loss at the world’s oldest and most important cultural sites.”