The UN's cultural agency UNESCO on Monday recommended that Venice be added to its list of world heritage in danger, saying the Italian authorities needed to step up efforts to secure the historic city and its surrounding lagoon.

UNESCO said in its recommendation that Venice risked "irreversible" damage due to a string of issues ranging from climate change to mass tourism.

The recommendation will now go to a meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Riyadh in September for adoption.

More than 25 million tourists are estimated to visit Venice annually, contributing detrimentally to Venice’s rapid sinking, flooding and deterioration. Venice is built upon multiple islands which sit in the shallow Venetian lagoon.

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