Desert National Park May Get UNESCO World Heritage Status

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 29-01-2024

Rajasthan 5 min read

Rajasthan's Desert National Park may get UNESCO World Heritage Status. Desert National Park was added to UNESCO’s tentative list in 2009.

The proposal for global designation to park was forwarded by the State Forest Department as well as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India to UNESCO.

About Desert National Park (DNP)

The Desert National Park (DNP) is located in the Rajasthan State of India and covers an area of 3162 km².
Out of this, 1900 km² is in Jaisalmer district and the remaining 1262 km² is in Barmer district.
The park was established in 1980 and is situated in an extremely hot and arid region, with very low rainfall (<100mm).
DNP is the natural habitat of the Great Indian Bustard (state bird), Chinkara (state animal), Khejri (state tree) and Rohida (state flower). It is the only place where these species are found together.
The Thar desert, where the park is located, has representatives of Palaearctic, Oriental and Saharan elements.
It is an exceptional example of geological history that represents different stages of evolution. The park has fossil evidence dating back to the Jurassic Period (180 mya) when the region had a hot and humid climate characterized by dense forests.
The Wood Fossil Park at Akal, located 17 km from Jaisalmer and under the jurisdiction of the Desert National Park, preserves the fossilized remains of these 180 million-year-old forests.

A World Heritage Site is a location that has been recognised by UNESCO for its cultural or physical significance.
Such sites are a part of the International 'World Heritage Programme', which is managed by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
This committee is responsible for maintaining the list of World Heritage Sites and ensuring their protection and preservation for the benefit of future generations.
India has 42 UNESCO Heritage Sites, out of which 34 are of cultural importance, 7 are natural wonders and 1 has a mixture of both cultural and natural significance. These places are considered unique, valuable and protected to preserve their importance for future generations.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) was founded on November 16, 1945. It consists of 195 Members and 8 Associate Members.
UNESCO is managed by the General Conference and an Executive Board.
The Secretariat, headed by the Director-General, carries out the decisions of these two bodies.
The Organisation’s headquarters are located in Paris and Ms Audrey Azoulay is its current Director-General.
UNESCO's mission is to contribute to building a peaceful culture, sustainable development, poverty eradication and intercultural dialogue through education, science, culture, communication and information.
UNESCO typically creates conditions for interaction among civilizations, cultures and people, based on respect for shared values.