Ecosystem collapse

Yeah.

Despite surviving centuries of tribal warfare and ecological collapse, these finite, irreplaceable monuments face severe modern threats.

The source material outlines some deeply frustrating incidents.

Yeah, like in 2008, a tourist intentionally chipped a piece off a moai's ear, which resulted in a $17,000 fine and a ban from the island.

Exactly.

For thousands of years, civilizations survived there only by meticulously maintaining massive centralized networks of canals to control the water and flush out the natural salts in the soil.

So when the Mongols destroy those canals, they aren't just damaging property, they are actively triggering ecological collapse.

Without a wealthy centralized government to constantly rebuild and dredge those canals, the water just goes stagnant.