The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has downgraded the Western Ghats’ World Heritage Site status to “Significant Concern” in its latest World Heritage Outlook 2025, citing severe environmental degradation, weak law enforcement, and unplanned development. The 1,600-kilometre mountain range, which stretches across six Indian states, is one of the world’s eight “hottest” biodiversity hotspots and home to over 7,400 species, including 325 threatened plants and animals such as the lion-tailed macaque and Nilgiris tahr. However, rampant mining, hydropower projects, and encroachments for agriculture and infrastructure are eroding its fragile ecosystems. The report warns that nearly 37% of the Ghats’ Forest cover has already been lost, fragmenting critical wildlife corridors.
The IUCN also raised concerns about the slow implementation of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (Gadgil Committee) recommendations, which had called for strict protection of ecologically sensitive zones. Increasing human-wildlife conflict, landslides, and extreme weather events—such as the 2018 and 2019 Kerala floods—underscore the region’s vulnerability to climate change. Experts stress that unless conservation policies are backed by stronger political will, scientific zoning, and community participation, the Western Ghats could lose its biodiversity heritage within decades. The report urges India to balance development with ecological integrity, emphasizing that the Ghats are vital for water security, carbon storage, and monsoon regulation for nearly 245 million people who depend on its resources. More