Context:
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its World Heritage Outlook 4 (2025) report has placed the Western Ghats, Manas National Park, and Sundarbans National Park in the category of “significant concern.”
• The report warns that climate change, unregulated tourism, invasive species, and infrastructure projects are major threats to these ecologically fragile regions.
Key Highlights:
- IUCN’s World Heritage Outlook 4 Findings (2025)
- Only 57% of assessed World Heritage Sites have a positive conservation outlook—a drop from 63% in previous years.
- The Western Ghats, one of India’s eight natural World Heritage sites, faces mounting pressure from hydropower projects, plantations, tourism, and climate change impacts.
- Manas and Sundarbans National Parks are also facing ecological strain from salinity, pollution, and human-induced disturbances.
- Major Threats to the Western Ghats
- Climate Change: Rising temperatures and altered rainfall patterns have intensified landslides, droughts, and species migration.
- Infrastructure Projects: Roads, railways, and hydroelectric projects (e.g., Sillahalla Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project) threaten fragile ecosystems.
- Tourism & Urbanization: Overcrowding and unregulated construction near sensitive habitats increase soil erosion and waste load.
- Invasive Species: Non-native plants like eucalyptus and acacia are replacing native forests, disrupting ecological balance.
- Plantations & Deforestation: Expansion of cash crops like tea and coffee has reduced forest cover and fragmented wildlife corridors.
- Biodiversity Significance
- The Western Ghats, older than the Himalayas, are a global biodiversity hotspot, hosting 325 globally threatened species, including the Nilgiri Tahr, Lion-tailed macaque, and Malabar civet.
- The range supports diverse endemic flora and fauna, contributing to India’s monsoon dynamics and carbon sequestration.
- Broader Asian Outlook
- Across Asia, roads, railroads, hunting, forest fires, and illegal logging are identified as leading threats to World Heritage Sites.
- The Sundarbans face climate-induced sea-level rise, heavy metal contamination, and storm surges impacting mangrove health.
- Global Conservation Linkages
- The findings align with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which seeks to halt biodiversity loss by 2030.
- UNESCO and IUCN play key roles in monitoring the ecological integrity of sites with “Outstanding Universal Value.”
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Western Ghats: Spread over 1,600 km across six states (Gujarat to Kerala); recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2012).
- Biodiversity Hotspot: Region with high endemism and habitat loss; Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas are India’s major hotspots.
- Endemism: Species unique to a particular geographic location.
- Invasive Species: Non-native organisms that harm ecosystems (e.g., Lantana, Eucalyptus).
- Nilgiri Tahr: Endangered mountain ungulate endemic to the Western Ghats; Tamil Nadu’s State Animal (2023).
- IUCN: International conservation body headquartered in Gland, Switzerland; publishes the Red List of Threatened Species.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Significance of the Western Ghats:
- Source of major rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery).
- Regulates monsoon systems and regional climate.
- Provides livelihood, drinking water, and ecosystem services to over 245 million people.
- Challenges:
- Development pressures from hydropower and mining projects.
- Weak enforcement of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
- Inadequate eco-tourism regulation and encroachment into buffer zones.
- Conservation Efforts:
- Gadgil Committee (2011) and Kasturirangan Report (2013) recommended zoning and sustainable development.
- Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) suggested ESA (Ecologically Sensitive Area) demarcation.
- Government initiatives include National Biodiversity Mission, CAMPA, and Project Elephant corridors.
- Way Forward:
- Strengthen eco-sensitive zoning and participatory governance.
- Promote community-based eco-tourism.
- Implement landscape-level conservation integrating climate resilience and restoration.
- Increase funding under Green India Mission and GBF 2030 targets.