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Sites of outstanding value to humanity that are to be protected and for posterity are considered as World Heritage Sites. Conservation of such sties is embodied in an international trety called the Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

World Heritage Committee under this Convention includes properties under the following three categories:

· Natural Heritage Sites: A “natural heritage” consist of natural features consisting of physical and biological formations, which are of outstanding universal value from aesthetic or scientific point of view; geological and physiographical formation and precisely delimitated areas which constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants of outstanding universal value from point of view of science or conservation; and/ or natural sites.

· Cultural Heritage sites: A” cultural heritage” consists of monuments, architectural works, works of monumental sculptures, painting, elements or structures of an archaeological nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings and combinations of features of outstanding universal value; group of buildings or groups of separate or connected buildings ; works of man or the combined work of nature and man and areas including archaeological sites which are out outstanding universal value from historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view.

· Mixed Heritage Sites: A “Mixed heritage” consist of properties having both the natural as well as cultural importance.

World Heritage Sties under Natural Category in India

India was ratified to the World Heritage Convention on 14th November 1977. Since then 5 natural sites have been declared as World Heritage Sites. In addition, Valley of Flowers was included in the World Heritage list as an extension to the Nanda Devi National Park. The list of such sites is:

· Natural

1. Kaziranga National Park(1985)

2. Keoladeo National Park (1985)

3. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)

4. Nanda Devi ( 1988) & Valley of Flowers in 2005 as an extension of Nanda Devi.

5. Sunderbans National Park(1987)

Sites in Tentative List of World Heritage Sites

4 natural sites have been proposed for the tentative list of World Heritage sites. The list of such sties is as given below:

1. Western Ghats (sub cluster nomination0 (2006)

2. Namdapha National Park (2006)

3. Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch (2006)

4. Kangchendzonga National Park (2006)