8/27/2016

WesternGhatsUNESCOWorldHeritageCentre

sat
Relief

UNESCOCultureWorldHeritageCentreTheListWorldHeritageList

WesternGhats
Description
Maps
Documents
Gallery
Indicators

WesternGhats

OlderthantheHimalayamountains,themountainchainoftheWesternGhatsrepresentsgeomorphicfeaturesofimmense
importancewithuniquebiophysicalandecologicalprocesses.ThesiteshighmontaneforestecosystemsinfluencetheIndian
monsoonweatherpattern.Moderatingthetropicalclimateoftheregion,thesitepresentsoneofthebestexamplesofthemonsoon
systemontheplanet.Italsohasanexceptionallyhighlevelofbiologicaldiversityandendemismandisrecognizedasoneofthe
worldseighthottesthotspotsofbiologicaldiversity.Theforestsofthesiteincludesomeofthebestrepresentativesofnon
equatorialtropicalevergreenforestsanywhereandarehometoatleast325globallythreatenedflora,fauna,bird,amphibian,reptile
andfishspecies.
Ghtsoccidentaux

PlusanciennequelesmontagnesdelHimalaya,lachanedemontagnedesGhtsoccidentauxprsentedescaractristiques
gomorphiquesduneimmenseimportanceavecunprocessusbiophysiqueetcologiqueunique.Lescosystmesforestiersde
hautemontagneinfluencentlesconditionsmtorologiquesdelamoussonindienne.Jouantunrledemodrationduclimat
tropicaldelargion,lesiteprsenteundesmeilleursexemplesdesystmesdemoussondelaplante.Lesiteagalementunniveau
exceptionnellementlevdediversitbiologiqueetdendmisme.Ilestreconnucommelundeshuitpointschaudsdela
biodiversitaumonde.Lesfortssecomposentdesmeilleursexemplesdefortssempervirentestropicalesnonquatorialesau
monde.Ellesabritentaumoins325espces,globalementmenaces,deflore,defaune,doiseaux,damphibiensetdereptiles.

Ghatsoccidentales

LacadenamontaosadelosGhatsoccidentales,msantiguaqueelHimalaya,presentarasgosgeomrficosdecapitalimportancia,
conprocesosbiofsicosyecolgicosnicos.Losecosistemasforestalesdealtamontaadelsitioinfluyenenelcicloclimticode
losmonzones.Almoderarelclimatropicaldelaregin,representaunodelosmejoresejemplosdelsistemamonznicodelplaneta.
Elsitiotienetambinungradoexcepcionalmentealtodediversidadbiolgicayendemismo.Hasidoreconocidocomounodelos
ocholugaresmscandentesdelabiodiversidadenlaTierra.Elsitioincluyealgunosdelosbosquestropicalesperennesno
ecuatorialesmsrepresentativosdelmundoyeshbitatdealmenos325especiesdeflora,fauna,aves,anfibios,reptilesypeces
amenazadosdeextincin.
source:UNESCO/ERI

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342

1/4

8/27/2016

WesternGhatsUNESCOWorldHeritageCentre

1600km391
8000130005000

source:NFUAJ
WestGhats

DeWestGhatszijnouderdanhetHimalayagebergteenhebbenbelangrijkegeomorfologischekenmerken,metuniekebiofysische
enecologischeprocessen.DehogebergachtigebosecosystemenbenvloedenhetweerpatroonvandeIndiasemoessons.DeWest
Ghatsmatigenhettropischeklimaatvandeomgevingendaarmeegeeftdebergketeneenduidelijkvoorbeeldvanhet
moessonsysteemopaarde.Hetgebiedkenteenuitzonderlijkhogebiodiversiteitenwordterkendalsnvan'swereldsacht'heetste
hotspots'vanbiologischediversiteit.DebossenvandeWestGhatsvormeneentoonaangevendvoorbeeldvannietequatoriale,
tropische,groenblijvendebossenwereldwijd.Zezijndethuisbasisvanminstens325wereldwijdbedreigdeflora,fauna,vogel,
amfibie,reptielenvissoorten.
Source:unesco.nl
English
French
Spanish
Japanese
Dutch

GrassHillsviewfromAkkamalaiS.ThangarajPannerSelvam,ForestRanger,UlandyRange,Topslip
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342

2/4

8/27/2016

WesternGhatsUNESCOWorldHeritageCentre

OutstandingUniversalValue

Briefsynthesis
TheWesternGhatsareinternationallyrecognizedasaregionofimmenseglobalimportancefortheconservationofbiological
diversity,besidescontainingareasofhighgeological,culturalandaestheticvalues.Achainofmountainsrunningparallelto
Indiaswesterncoast,approximately3050kminland,theGhatstraversetheStatesofKerala,TamilNadu,Karnataka,Goa,
MaharashtraandGujarat.Thesemountainscoveranareaofaround140,000kmina1,600kmlongstretchthatisinterruptedonly
bythe30kmPalghatGapataround11N.
OlderthanthegreatHimalayanmountainchain,theWesternGhatsofIndiaareageomorphicfeatureofimmenseglobal
importance.TheOutstandingUniversalValueoftheWesternGhatsismanifestedintheregionsuniqueandfascinatinginfluence
onlargescalebiophysicalandecologicalprocessesovertheentireIndianpeninsula.ThemountainsoftheWesternGhatsandtheir
characteristicmontaneforestecosystemsinfluencetheIndianmonsoonweatherpatternsthatmediatethewarmtropicalclimateof
theregion,presentingoneofthebestexamplesofthetropicalmonsoonsystemontheplanet.TheGhatsactasakeybarrier,
interceptingtherainladenmonsoonwindsthatsweepinfromthesouthwestduringlatesummer.
AsignificantcharacteristicoftheWesternGhatsistheexceptionallyhighlevelofbiologicaldiversityandendemism.This
mountainchainisrecognizedasoneoftheworldseighthottesthotspotsofbiologicaldiversityalongwithSriLanka.Theforests
oftheWesternGhatsincludesomeofthebestrepresentativesofnonequatorialtropicalevergreenforestsintheworld.Atleast325
globallythreatened(IUCNRedDataList)speciesoccurintheWesternGhats.Thegloballythreatenedfloraandfaunainthe
WesternGhatsarerepresentedby229plantspecies,31mammalspecies,15birdspecies,43amphibianspecies,5reptilespecies
and1fishspecies.Ofthetotal325globallythreatenedspeciesintheWesternGhats,129areclassifiedasVulnerable,145as
Endangeredand51asCriticallyEndangered.
Criterion(ix):TheWesternGhatsregiondemonstratesspeciationrelatedtothebreakupoftheancientlandmassofGondwanaland
intheearlyJurassicperiodsecondlytotheformationofIndiaintoanisolatedlandmassandthethirdlytotheIndianlandmass
beingpushedtogetherwithEurasia.TogetherwithfavourableweatherpatternsandahighgradientbeingpresentintheGhats,high
speciationhasresulted.TheWesternGhatsisanEvolutionaryEcotoneillustratingOutofAfricaandOutofAsiahypotheses
onspeciesdispersalandvicariance.[tb1]
Criterion(x):TheWesternGhatscontainexceptionallevelsofplantandanimaldiversityandendemicityforacontinentalarea.In
particular,thelevelofendemicityforsomeofthe45,000plantspeciesrecordedintheGhatsisveryhigh:ofthenearly650tree
speciesfoundintheWesternGhats,352(54%)areendemic.Animaldiversityisalsoexceptional,withamphibians(upto179
species,65%endemic),reptiles(157species,62%endemic),andfishes(219species,53%endemic).Invertebratebiodiversity,once
betterknown,islikelyalsotobeveryhigh(withsome80%oftigerbeetlesendemic).Anumberofflagshipmammalsoccurinthe
property,includingpartsofthesinglelargestpopulationofgloballythreatenedlandscapespeciessuchastheAsianElephant,
GaurandTiger.EndangeredspeciessuchastheliontailedMacaque,NilgiriTahrandNilgiriLangurareuniquetothearea.The
propertyisalsokeytotheconservationofanumberofthreatenedhabitats,suchasuniqueseasonallymassfloweringwildflower
meadows,SholaforestsandMyristicaswamps.
Integrity
Thepropertyismadeupof39componentpartsgroupedinto7subclusters.Theserialapproachisjustifiedinprinciplefroma
biodiversityperspectivebecauseall39componentsbelongtothesamebiogeographicprovince,andremainasisolatedremnantsof
previouscontiguousforest.Thejustificationfordevelopingaserialapproachratherthanjustidentifyingonelargeprotectedareato
representthebiodiversityoftheWesternGhatsisduetothehighdegreeofendemism,meaningthatspeciescompositionfromthe
verynorthofthemountainsto1,600kmsouthvariesgreatly,andnoonesitecouldtellthestoryoftherichnessofthesemountains.
Theformulationofthiscomplexserialnominationhasevolvedthroughaconsultativeprocessdrawingonscientificanalysisfrom
varioussources.[tb5]The39componentpartsgroupedinto7subclusterstogetherreflecttheOutstandingUniversalValueofthe
propertyandcapturetherangeofbiologicaldiversityandspeciesendemisminthisvastlandscape.
Protectionandmanagementrequirements
The39componentpartsofthisserialpropertyfallunderanumberofprotectionregimes,rangingfromTigerReserves,National
Parks,WildlifeSanctuaries,andReservedForests.AllcomponentsareownedbytheStateandaresubjecttostringentprotection
underlawsincludingtheWildlife(Protection)Actof1972,theIndianForestActof1927,andtheForestConservationAct(1980).
ThroughtheselawsthecomponentsareunderthecontroloftheForestryDepartmentandtheChiefWildlifeWarden,providing
legalprotection.40%ofthepropertyliesoutsideoftheformalprotectedareasystem,mostlyinReservedForests,whicharelegally
protectedandeffectivelymanaged.TheForestConservationAct(1980)providestheregulatoryframeworktoprotectthemfrom
infrastructuredevelopment.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342

3/4

8/27/2016

WesternGhatsUNESCOWorldHeritageCentre

Integratingthemanagementof39componentsacross4Statesisachallenge,forwhicha3tiergovernancemechanismisrequired
thatwilloperateattheCentral,StateandSitelevelstoprovideeffectivecoordinationandoversighttothe39components.A
WesternGhatsNaturalHeritageManagementCommittee(WGNHMC)undertheauspicesoftheMinistryofEnvironmentof
Forests(MoEF),GovernmentofIndiatodealwithcoordinationandintegrationissuesisalreadyfunctional.All39componentsin
the7subclustersaremanagedunderspecificmanagement/workingplansdulyapprovedbytheState/Centralgovernments.The
livelihoodconcernsofthelocalcommunitiesareregulatedbytheForestRightsActs,2006andtheirparticipationingovernanceis
ensuredthroughVillageEcodevelopmentCommittees(VECs).
News

(2)

TwentysixnewsitesinscribedonUNESCOWorldHeritageListthisyearMonday,2July2012
FournaturalandfourculturalpropertiesaddedtoUNESCOsWorldHeritageListonSundaySunday,1July2012
Links

Protectedplanet.net
India
N83147E771459
DateofInscription:2012
Criteria:(ix)(x)
Property:795,315ha
Ref:1342rev

Report
a map2016
error
Imagery

MediaNewsLinks

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342

4/4