Western Ghats Downgraded to Significant Concern by IUCN
Why in the news
IUCN lowered the outlook rating of the Western Ghats in its latest World Heritage Outlook, pointing to several pressures on this fragile region.
Key facts
- Report: IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4 (2025).
- Category: Significant Concern.
- Also called: Sahyadri Hills.
- Status: UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012; one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots.
- Roles: monsoon regulation, water security and biodiversity conservation.
Geography
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Extent | About 1,600 km, Tapti River (Gujarat) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) |
| States | Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Area | About 1,64,280 sq km |
| Palghat Gap | 30 km wide pass near 11°N, linking Kerala and Tamil Nadu |
| Highest peak | Anamudi, Kerala: 2,695 m (8,842 ft) |
Geology
- Older than the Himalayas; formed about 150 million years ago when Gondwanaland broke up.
- Mostly basaltic lava flows; the western escarpment of the Deccan Plateau.
- Acts as a climatic and geomorphic barrier shaping the Southwest Monsoon.
- Called an Evolutionary Ecotone, since long isolation and climate shifts drove unique species.
Biodiversity
- Over 7,400 plant species with high endemism; dense tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests on western slopes.
- Home to 325 globally threatened species; about 30% of the world’s Asian elephants and 17% of its tigers.
- Endemics: Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, Malabar civet.
- Source of the Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri and Periyar rivers.
Threats
- Climate change: altered rainfall, droughts, landslides.
- Unregulated tourism: fragmentation, pollution, waste.
- Deforestation and infrastructure: roads, mining, encroachment.
- Invasive species and urbanisation.
Exam angle
- Highest peak: Anamudi.
- Heritage listing: 2012.