News Brief
Hyderabad’s Musi River Historic Buildings In 2025 World Monuments Watch For Global Heritage Preservation Spotlight
Pic Via WMF website
The iconic ‘Musi River Historic Buildings’ in Hyderabad has been put on the 2025 World Monuments Watch, as announced late Wednesday (15 January) by the New York-based World Monuments Fund (WMF).
The World Monuments Watch is a flagship advocacy program of the New York–based private non-profit organization World Monuments Fund (WMF) that calls international attention to cultural heritage around the world that are facing major challenges including climate change, tourism, conflict, and natural disaster.
Joining them is Gujarat’s ‘Bhuj Historic Water Systems,’ making India home to two of the 25 global sites identified as facing critical risks due to water crises and climate change.
“As Hyderabad confronts environmental challenges and rapid change, World Monuments Fund highlights heritage as a pathway for rejuvenation alongside environmental conservation and climate adaptation,” the WMF document noted, placing Hyderabad’s civic landmarks at the heart of urban sustainability conversations.
The Musi River buildings, including landmarks such as the High Court, State Central Library, Osmania General Hospital, City College, and the former British Residency (now a women’s university), represent a significant legacy tied to the riverfront’s historic and civic identity.
The WMF’s 2025 spotlight comes as the Congress-led state government undertakes an ambitious program to rejuvenate the Musi River and its surroundings, integrating heritage preservation with environmental restoration.
“The Watch underscores World Monument Fund’s commitment to ensuring that heritage preservation not only honours the past but actively contributes to building a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for communities around the world,” stated WMF President & CEO, Bénédicte de Montlaur.
The biennial World Monuments Watch aims to rally advocacy, resources, and awareness for endangered cultural heritage around the globe, addressing threats such as tourism pressures, conflicts, and natural disasters.
“Historic buildings like Osmania General Hospital, if preserved and reactivated, can be invaluable assets for Hyderabad’s future. Built heritage—from grand landmarks to everyday structures—offers a lens to understand the shared uses of space that have given the Musi River meaning and life over time,” stated the WMF announcement.
