Source: TH
Context: The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4 has placed India’s Western Ghats, under the “significant concern” category due to threats like climate change, unregulated tourism, and invasive species.
About the Western Ghats:
- What it is:
- The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri Hills, are a north–south mountain range forming the crest of the western edge of the Deccan Plateau.
- They are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world.
- Location:
- They run parallel to the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, covering about 1,600 km from the Tapti River in Gujarat to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
- The range traverses six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu — covering an area of around 1,64,280 sq km.
- The chain is interrupted only by the 30 km wide Palghat Gap near 11°N latitude.
- Formation:
- Older than the Himalayas, the Western Ghats were formed during the breakup of Gondwanaland in the Jurassic period (around 150 million years ago).
- They are composed mainly of basaltic lava flows and residual plateaus, acting as a geomorphic and climatic barrier that influences India’s monsoon system.
- The Ghats are considered an “Evolutionary Ecotone”, demonstrating speciation due to India’s geological isolation and later collision with Eurasia.
- Key Features:
- Highest Peak: Anamudi (Anai Mudi) in Kerala — 2,695 m (8,842 ft). Other notable peaks include Doda Betta (Nilgiris) and Mahabaleshwar Plateau (Maharashtra).
- Major Rivers Originating: Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri (Cauvery) — forming peninsular India’s principal watershed.
- The western slopes rise sharply from the Arabian Sea, while the eastern slopes gently descend toward the Deccan Plateau.
- The Ghats create a rain-shadow effect, resulting in lush tropical evergreen forests on the western side and dry deciduous forests on the eastern side.
- Flora:
- The region hosts over 7,400 plant species, of which many are endemic.
- It contains some of the best non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests in the world.
- Fauna:
- The Ghats are home to 325 globally threatened species.
- The region shelters about 30% of the world’s Asian elephants and 17% of global tiger population (Panthera tigris).
