The Case of Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (RRPCL)
The Western Ghats, acknowledged as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, holds significant global significance for conserving biological diversity, as well as for having areas of notable geological, cultural, and aesthetic value. Stretching along India's western coast, approximately 30-50 km inland, these mountains span the western administrative states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, covering about 140,000 km² across a 1,600 km stretch, which occupies more area than the entirety of Greece.
The mountain chain of the Western Ghats, older than the Himalayas, holds significant geomorphic features and plays a crucial role in unique biophysical and ecological processes. Its forest ecosystems have a notable impact on the Indian monsoon weather pattern, contributing to the moderation of the tropical climate in the region. This site serves as an exemplary demonstration of the monsoon system's functioning, showcasing one of the planet's finest instances. Moreover, it boasts exceptionally high levels of biological diversity and endemism, earning recognition as one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity. Within its forests, some of the finest examples of non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests can be found, harbouring at least 325 globally threatened species of flora, fauna, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish.
The entire Western Ghats was divided into 7 broad regions of interest, known as ‘sub clusters’, each one containing 39 individual elements of importance, when India nominated it to be a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site - a tag which it later received. These elements are all situated within the same biogeographic area and represent remnants of previous contiguous forest habitats. The biodiversity of the Western Ghats is largely driven by a high level of endemism, and no single location can fully encapsulate the richness and diversity of these mountainous regions placing them among the world's top eight hotspots of biological diversity alongside Sri Lanka.
Read and Download the Full Report here:
Comments