Seven more Indian sites added to tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

• Seven natural heritage sites have been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO’s World Heritage for India.

• With this, India now has a total of 69 sites under consideration by UNESCO, comprising 49 cultural, 17 natural, and three mixed heritage properties. 

• As per UNESCO’s protocol, inclusion in the Tentative List is a prerequisite for any site to be nominated for the prestigious World Heritage List.

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the nodal agency for the World Heritage Convention on behalf of India, has played a crucial role in compiling and submitting the nominations.

The seven sites are:

i) Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra: Home to some of the best-preserved and studied lava flows in the world, these sites form part of the massive Deccan Traps and are located within the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary — already a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

ii) Geological Heritage of St. Mary’s Island Cluster, Karnataka: Known for its rare columnar basaltic rock formations, this island cluster dates back to the Late Cretaceous period, offering a geological snapshot from around 85 million years ago.

iii) Meghalayan Age Caves, Meghalaya: The stunning cave systems of Meghalaya, particularly the Mawmluh Cave, serve as the global reference point for the Meghalayan Age in the Holocene Epoch, reflecting significant climate and geological transitions.

iv) Naga Hill Ophiolite, Nagaland: A rare exposure of ophiolite rocks, these hills represent oceanic crust uplifted onto continental plates, offering deep insights into tectonic processes and mid-ocean ridge dynamics.

v) Erra Matti Dibbalu (Red Sand Hills), Andhra Pradesh: These visually striking red sand formations near Visakhapatnam showcase unique paleo-climatic and coastal geomorphological features that reveal Earth’s climatic history and dynamic evolution.

vi) Natural Heritage of Tirumala Hills, Andhra Pradesh: Featuring the Eparchaean Unconformity and the iconic Silathoranam (Natural Arch), this site holds immense geological significance, representing over 1.5 billion years of Earth’s history.

vii) Varkala Cliffs, Kerala: The scenic cliffs along Kerala’s coastline expose the Warkalli Formation of the Mio-Pliocene age, along with natural springs and striking erosional landforms, offering both scientific and touristic value.

What is a World Heritage Site?

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. 

• This is embodied in an international treaty called the ‘Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage’, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

• A World Heritage Site is a place having a special cultural or physical significance and outstanding universal value to humanity. It may be a building, a city, a complex, a desert, a forest, an island, a lake, a monument or a mountain.

• Sites recognised as being of Outstanding Universal Value are inscribed each year on the World Heritage List.

• To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. These criteria are regularly revised by the Committee to reflect the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself.

Who lists World Heritage Sites?

• The International World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee establishes the sites to be listed as World Heritage Sites.

• ICOMOS assisted UNESCO in writing the Convention text, in which it was appointed advisory body to the World Heritage Committee. Its role is to support the implementation of the cultural side of the Convention.

• The France-based International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is an international non-governmental organisation that comprises professionals, experts, representatives from local authorities, companies and heritage organisations, and is dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of architectural and landscape heritage around the world.

• The World Heritage Committee defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. 

• It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List. 

• The Committee consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly.

• It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed. 

• It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)