The Western Ghats, along with Assam’s Manas National Park and West Bengal’s Sundarbans National Park, has been listed under the “Significant Concern” category in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Heritage Outlook 4 Report
Key Findings of the IUCN Outlook 4
- Nearly 40% of sites face major conservation concerns, with climate change emerging as the most pervasive threat.
- Declining Conservation Outlook: For the first time since 2014, the share of sites with a positive conservation outlook has fallen to 57% (from 63%).
- Broader Concerns: In Asia, the top threats are – Climate change, Tourism activities, Invasive species and Roads and railways.
- Natural World Heritage sites cover less than 1% of Earth’s surface, but support over 20% of global species richness.
- The report highlights “good practice examples” of community and youth-led conservation in sites such as Mount Wuyi (China) and Sinharaja Forest (Sri Lanka).
- The report calls for aligning national efforts with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) to halt biodiversity loss.
Conservation Status in India
| Category |
Indian Sites Listed |
| Good |
Khangchendzonga National Park (Sikkim) |
| Good with Some Concerns |
Great Himalayan National Park, Kaziranga, Keoladeo, Nanda Devi & Valley of Flowers |
| Significant Concern |
Western Ghats, Manas NP (Assam), Sundarbans NP (West Bengal) |
Why the Western Ghats Have Been Red-Flagged
- Unsustainable Hydropower Development:
- Multiple large-scale hydroelectric and pumped storage projects are altering river ecosystems and fragmenting habitats.
- Example: The ₹5,843 crore Sillahalla Pumped Storage Project in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris aims to generate 1,000 MW by constructing dams across the Sillahalla and Kundah rivers.
- Unregulated Tourism:
- Unregulated tourism is leading to garbage accumulation, habitat disturbance, and human-wildlife conflict.
- Plastic and food waste are often consumed by wild animals such as elephants, increasing mortality and disease risks.
- Habitat Loss from Plantations and Land-Use Change:
- Expansion of tea, coffee, and eucalyptus plantations is replacing natural forests.
- Invasive species like acacia and eucalyptus—introduced during the colonial era—are outcompeting native flora, degrading forest health.
- Climate Change Impacts:
- Rising temperatures have forced several species to migrate to higher altitudes, disrupting ecological patterns.
- Example: The Nilgiri flycatcher and black-and-orange flycatcher are shifting upwards as lower elevations warm rapidly.
- Infrastructure and Connectivity Threats:
- Increasing road and rail networks through forest corridors exacerbate fragmentation and wildlife mortality through roadkill incidents.
- Roads and railways have now become one of the top five threats to Asian natural heritage sites for the first time.
Ecological Significance of the Western Ghats
- One of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots; older than the Himalayas.
- Covers six Indian states from Gujarat to Kerala.
- Home to 325 globally threatened species, including the Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, and Malabar civet.
- Provides critical ecosystem services — water regulation, carbon sequestration, and monsoon stability — supporting millions of people.
Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022)
- Adopted : December 2022 at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada (originally planned in Kunming, China).
- Aim:
- To halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve “living in harmony with nature by 2050.”
- Serves as the “Paris Agreement for Nature.”
- Goals (for 2050):
- Protect and restore ecosystem integrity and halt extinction of threatened species.
- Ensure sustainable use and benefits from biodiversity.
- Promote fair and equitable sharing of genetic resources.
- Mobilize adequate finance, technology, and capacity for implementation.
- Targets (for 2030): 23 global targets, key among them:
- Protect 30% of land and oceans (“30 by 30”).
- Restore 30% of degraded ecosystems.
- Halve the rate of invasive alien species introduction.
- Reduce harmful subsidies by at least $500 billion/year.
- Legal Nature: Not legally binding; implementation relies on national biodiversity strategies (NBSAPs) and voluntary country commitments under the CBD.
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About IUCN World Heritage Outlook
- The IUCN World Heritage Outlook is a global assessment system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- Purpose: Evaluates the conservation status and management effectiveness of all natural World Heritage sites worldwide.
- Launched: 2014; updated every three years (2017, 2020, 2025).
- Objective: Monitor how effectively these globally significant ecosystems are being protected and managed over time.
- Scope: The 2025 edition assessed 252 natural World Heritage sites across continents.
- Assessment Parameters: Each site is evaluated on:
- Current Conservation Outlook: Long-term likelihood of preserving site values.
- Threats: Climate change, invasive species, disease, habitat loss, and tourism pressure.
- Protection & Management: Policy strength, funding, community engagement.
- State of Values: Health of species, ecosystems, and ecological processes.
- Categories of Outlook: The IUCN classifies each site under four categories – Good, Good with Some Concerns, Significant Concern, Critical.
27 Oct 2025
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