India's Western Ghats now a UNESCO World Heritage site
8th July 2012
The Indian mountain range is one of 26 new sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage list last week
The Western Ghats are a mountain range that run along India's west coast and are believed to be around 150 million years old. The mountains are recognised as one of the world's eight “hottest hotspots” of biological diversity.
Wanderlust editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes visited the region in late 2009, she commented, "I was blown away by the beauty and diversity of the Ghats, and was pleasantly surprised at how much wildlife is there, despite the population pressures. However, I feared for the future; I do hope this will encourage greater awareness and protection of this wonderful gem."
The mountains are home to over 5,000 flowering plants, 500 species of bird and 139 mammals. The highest peak is home to the Nilgiri tahr, a rare type of mountain goat. There are only around 2,000 of these goats in existence, 40% of which live in the park. Other animals found here include the endangered lion-tailed macaque, tigers, elephant and leopards.
However, the Ghats are threatened by farming, mining and India's increasing population. Karnataka state was against the inscription of the Ghats on the list for fear of it affecting development work.
Many felt that this addition to the World Heritage site list would save the mountain's biodiversity from mining and development. Around 2,500 hectares of forest area were taken over by mining between 1988 and 1997. Mining, power plants and any other infrastructural development cannot now operate in the area.
Other new additions to the UNESCO's World Heritage site list include the Carioca Landscapes of Rio de Janeiro, the Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin, the Margravial Opera House in Germany, the landscape of Grand-Pré in Canada, and China's Site of Xanadu. For the first time ever Chad, Congo, Palau and Palestine now have World Heritage sites.
The birthplace of Jesus, Church of the Nativity and Timbuktu were added to UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger, while Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore and the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras were removed from the danger list.
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