SDG 15: Life on Land | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Culture
India has successfully added seven natural heritage sites to UNESCO’s Tentative List, increasing the country’s total from 62 to 69 entries. The new sites include Deccan Traps at Panchgani & Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra), St. Mary’s Island Cluster (Karnataka), Meghalayan Age Caves (Meghalaya), Naga Hill Ophiolite (Nagaland), Erra Matti Dibbalu (Andhra Pradesh), Tirumala Hills natural features (Andhra Pradesh), and Varkala Cliffs (Kerala). These sites reflect significant geological, geomorphological, paleoclimatic, and tectonic features. Inclusion in the Tentative List is a prerequisite step before a site can be nominated for full World Heritage status.
This move strengthens India’s heritage diplomacy and conservation trajectory by expanding its roster of globally recognized natural assets. It paves the way for deeper international collaboration, tourism potential, and stronger legal protections for these newly recognized landscapes.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India move these sites from tentative status to full UNESCO World Heritage recognition while ensuring local community engagement, ecological safeguards, and sustainable tourism infrastructure?
Follow the full news here: PIB Release – Seven Natural Heritage Sites Added to UNESCO Tentative List