How Valley of Flowers got World Heritage Site Tag

The Valley of Flowers is known for its breathtaking natural beauty and abundance of flowers. 

The convention known as the World Heritage Convention has been signed by 189 of the world’s 194 states as of March 2012. The Convention, which was approved by the UNESCO General Conference on November 16, 1972, emphasises the conservation of world cultural and natural assets.

Obtaining a Tag

The Indian government proposed the Valley of Flowers National Park for World Heritage Site recognition in 2004. IUCN–the World Conservation Union–conducts technical evaluations of all natural and mixed assets nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List as a technical advisory body to the World Heritage Committee. Each nomination is subjected to an external appraisal by professionals knowledgeable about the site and the natural resources it represents. Each nomination is usually reviewed by eight to ten impartial experts. Members of the World Commission on Protected Areas, other IUCN Commissions, and scientific networks are among them.

M J B Green, who has done research on the Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) in and around the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand, was delegated by the IUCN to assess the Valley of Flowers candidacy. He and IUCN’s Georgina Peard visited India’s Valley of Flowers, where they met local leaders, forest department officials, and other relevant organisations.

The meeting of the IUCN World Heritage Panel to assess the valley’s candidacy was quickly approaching (December 13-17, 2004), and IUCN was still seeking for reliable scientific data on the Valley of Flowers. 

The IUCN used three primary criteria to appraise the Valley of Flowers as a World Heritage Site before presenting it to the World Heritage Committee. These were:

1. outstanding natural beauty
2. populations of uncommon, endangered, and high-altitude flora and wildlife
3. conservation and management status. All of these conditions were satisfied by the Valley of Flowers.

According to remote sensing research, nearly 70% of the 87.5 sq km park area is permanently covered with snow. There are 520 vascular plant species in the rest of the region, 500 of which are blooming plants. The presence of such a large number of flowering plants in such a short space creates a botanical paradise. Furthermore, the Valley of Flowers’ alpine meadows (areas above natural tree line abundant in low herbs) are a rich source of medicinal and fragrant plants.

There are several alpine meadows and valleys in the Garhwal Himalayas that are similar to the Valley of Flowers in terms of geomorphological conditions, height ranges, and blooming plant composition, such as Khiron Valley, Raj Kharak, Chinap Valley, Har-Ki-Dun, and Dayara Bugyal.

But, in terms of floral diversity, none of them compares to the Valley of Flowers.

In terms of plants per unit area and frequency, the Valley of Flowers has a larger density of rare and endangered plant species than other alpine meadows in the Indian Himalayas. The Valley of Flowers has a higher number of threatened plant species, particularly those with medicinal value, than other protected areas in the Indian Himalayas, such as the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Pin Valley National Park, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, and Hemis National Park.

Since 1982, cattle grazing has been restricted in the park area under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Natural herbaceous forms, like Polygonum polystachyum or Himalayan knotweed colonisation, have emerged in the park region since then.

Polygonum polystachyum thrives in disturbed habitats including eroded slopes, bouldery regions, avalanche-prone places, and the fragmented tree line zone. Because of its abundance in disturbed habitat types and deep-rooted rhizomes in the soil, it helps to prevent soil erosion.

Furthermore, the Valley of Flowers’ natural tree line has begun to form at lower elevations, which has previously been used by pastoral groups for firewood and other uses when camping in the Valley of Flowers.

The Valley of Flowers ultimately met all of the criteria, and UNESCO proclaimed it a World Heritage Site on July 14, 2005.

Conclusion:

The Valley of Flowers is a bouquet of nature softly cuddled in the West Himalayan area of Uttarakhand, bestowed with unique and exotic Himalayan flora. The Valley of Flowers journey passes through deep forests and along the Pushpawati River, with several bridges, glaciers, and waterfalls along the way.This stunning natural wonder is both an Indian National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with lush meadows blooming with rare alpine flowers and a rich wildlife.