UNESCO World Heritage Sites In India 2020, Criteria, Benefits.

There are a total of 1092 UNESCO World Heritage Sites across 167 countries that are selected on the basis of some criteria set by UNESCO which can be classified into two categories Cultural Sites and Natural Sites.

Here in this blog, we will discuss the 10 Criterias the nominated sites must be of "outstanding universal value" and should meet at least one of the ten mentioned criteria:

Criteria for Cultural Sites

1. Represents a masterpiece of human creative genius.

2. Exhibits an important interchange of human value over a span of time, or within a cultural area of the world, on development in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design.

3. Bears a Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.

4. Is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history.

5. It is an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea- use which is representative of a culture or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change.

6. It is directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary work of outstanding universal significance.

Criteria for Natural Sites

7. It contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.

8. It is an outstanding example representing major stages of the Earth's history, including the record of life, a significant on-going geological process in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features?

9. Is an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, and communities of plants and animals?

10. It contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal values from the point of view of science or conservation.

List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites In India.

Benefits of the World Heritage Sites Status

> Brings International Attention to the need for the preservation and conservation of Sites

> Bring tourism to the site ensuring economic benefits.

> UNESCO can provide funds for restoration, preservation, and training if required.

> promotes close ties with the United Nation system and the prestige and support it provides.

> Enables access to global project management resources.

> Facilitates creating partnerships between government, the private sector, and NGOs to achieve conservation goals.

> Site becomes protected under the Geneva Convention against destruction or misuse during wartime.