WHC in India - Manas Wildlife Sanctuary

Date of Inscription: 1985
Criteria:
(vii)to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance
(ix)to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals
(x)to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation

Inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger: 1992

Brief Description

On a gentle slope in the foothills of the Himalayas, where wooded hills give way to alluvial grasslands and tropical forests, the Manas sanctuary is home to a great variety of wildlife, including many endangered species, such as the tiger, pygmy hog, Indian rhinoceros and Indian elephant.

Threats to the Site:

The Committee decided to include this site on the World Heritage in Danger List in 1992, when it was invaded by militants of the Bodo tribe in Assam. Damage to the sanctuary was estimated at more than two million US dollars. The site's infrastructure suffered considerable damage during 1992-93. Political instability seems to have led to poaching during this period of thirty-three rhinos during 1989-1992. A monitoring mission jointly undertaken by the Government of India and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in January 1997 confirmed the extensive damage to Park infrastructure and decrease in the population of some species, particularly the greater one-horned rhino.

The Government of India, the State Government of Assam and the Park authorities have elaborated a $US 2,35 million rehabilitation plan which began to be implemented in 1997 and is progressing satisfactorily. And while security conditions in and around Manas have improved, the threat of insurgency still prevails in the State of Assam and militants often traverse the sanctuary. Nevertheless, conditions for site- protection and the relationship with local villagers appear to be improving.