Western Ghats
Location: western coast of India Date of Inscription: 2012
Older than the Himalaya mountains, the mountain chain that runs along the west coast of India has geomorphic features of immense importance andis home to unique biophysical and ecological processes. The site’s highaltitude montane forest ecosystems influence local weather patterns. Moderating the tropical climate of the region, the site presents one of the best examples of the monsoon system on the planet. It also has an exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism and is recognised as one of the world’s eight places with the highest biological diversity. The forests of the site are among the best non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests worldwide and are home to at least 325 globally threatened flora and fauna species.