The success of conservation efforts at Manas National Park, Assam were recognized as it was removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger. The park had been put on the danger list with its flora and fauna depleting due to poaching and civil unrest in the region. On 21 June 2011, it was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and was commended for its efforts in preservation.
It had decided to include this site in the danger when the park became a safe haven for militants and there was rampant poaching inside it, with damages estimated over USD two million.
“India scores a winning goal for Manas,” said Jagdish Kishwan, Additional Director General (Wildlife), who led the Indian delegation at the session.
“Inscription of a site in the List of World Heritage in Danger has two sides to it. One, it draws global attention to the problems faced by the site, which is beneficial; the second, it indicates a pending threat that the site could be deleted as a World Heritage completely if appropriate measures are not taken to restore it,” said Vivek Menon, executive director of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and another member of the delegation.
The decision on the World Heritage status of Manas was an outcome of voting by 22 member countries to the World Heritage Committee.
Picture Credit : Google