New Delhi, 25th July 2024: The Eco-Tourism Development Board of Uttar Pradesh is making a compelling case for the inclusion of the 1400-million-year-old Salkhan Fossil Park in Sonbhadra district in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. This pitch is being made at the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting, an event organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) from July 21 to 31 at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, marking the first time this prestigious event is hosted in India.

Founded in 1948, IUCN is the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, comprising over 1,400 member organizations and 16,000 experts. This extensive network makes IUCN the global authority on the natural world’s status and the measures needed to protect it. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is emphasizing the need for increased representation and focus on nature conservation at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee. The Committee will deliberate on potential sites for inclusion in the World Heritage List and decide on conservation and management actions required to protect World Heritage sites under threat. The event sees the participation of more than 2,500 representatives from over 150 countries.

In a bid to expedite the listing process, the Uttar Pradesh Eco Tourism Board held a positive meeting with IUCN officials, including Mr. Tim Badman, Director of the IUCN World Heritage Programme, and other eminent panellists such as V.B. Mathur (Retd. IFS & Ex-Director, WII), Dr. Shikha from DRONAH, Dr. Shilpa Pandey, Geologist & Senior Scientist at BSIP, and Akash Priyadarshi, OSD of UP Tourism.

The Forest Department, Banaras Hindu University, and DRONAH, an organization specializing in dossier preparation, have already examined the park’s geological significance and its heritage according to international standards. Salkhan Fossil Park falls under the natural heritage category, and Mr. Tim Badman, an expert in geology and a subject enthusiast, is keenly interested in the park’s inclusion in the World Heritage List.

Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh announced that efforts are underway to register Salkhan Fossil Park, located in Sonbhadra, on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The process has already begun. As part of this initiative, a brainstorming meeting was held with IUCN Director Tim Badman. We are hopeful for its successful listing under his guidance.