Salkhan Fossils Park Added to UNESCO Tentative List, Highlighting 1.4-Billion-Year-Old Geological Marvel.
International
On June 22, 2025, Uttar Pradesh’s Salkhan Fossils Park in Sonbhadra was officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. The 25-hectare park features ancient stromatolite fossils, underscoring its global significance in the study of Earth’s early life and natural history.
- Located near Robertsganj in the Kaimur Range, Salkhan Fossils Park spans roughly 25 hectares and houses stromatolites and algae fossils estimated to be around 1.4 billion years old—making them among the earliest known evidence of life on Earth.
- Inclusion on the Tentative List is the first formal step toward World Heritage status. A dossier, backed by scientific studies led by the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, will now be prepared for UNESCO review; full designation is expected within two years.
- The park’s stromatolite formations—domal, columnar, and stratiform—capture successive environmental changes in the Precambrian era, especially during the Great Oxidation Event, thereby filling a significant gap in the fossil record.
Main Point :- (i) With UNESCO recognition, regional tourism is projected to surge. The site’s inclusion can enhance eco-tourism infrastructure, generate employment, and promote sustainable development in the underdeveloped Vindhyan region.
(ii) Geological exploration began in the 1930s, with notable contributions in 2002 and subsequent research. High-caliber international collaborations—including workshops and paleo-research—underscore its enduring scientific value.
(iii) The UP government, led by CM Yogi Adityanath, has backed the initiative with tourism infrastructure plans, eco-development funds, and a focused push toward securing UNESCO's permanent listing by preparing a robust nomination dossier.
About UNESCO
Director-General: Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters: Paris, France
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