The Naga Hill Ophiolite, located in Kiphire, Nagaland, has been submitted by the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO to the Tentative List on 27 August 2025 under Criteria (viii) and (x). The site represents an important combination of geological heritage, biodiversity value and cultural-nature linkages.
The Naga Hills form part of a complex mountain system extending across the Indian state of Nagaland and the Sagaing region of Myanmar. They are part of the Arakan Range, which rises up to 12,552 feet in the north.The nominated region includes important natural and biodiversity locations such as Satoi Range, Mount Ziphu, Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary & Saramati area, Pfutsero-Chizami, and the Naga Hills ophiolite region of Kiphire.
The Naga Hills are known for the geological feature called ophiolite. Ophiolites are fragments of oceanic plate that have been thrust onto the edge of continental plates, and they help in understanding processes occurring at mid-ocean ridges.The Naga Hill Ophiolite occurs as a narrow arcuate body in the central part of the Indo-Myanmar Ranges. It is linked to the India–Myanmar convergent plate boundary and provides evidence of plate tectonics, arc-continent collision and accretionary processes.
Under Criterion (viii), the Naga Hill Ophiolite is significant because it represents a rare exposure of oceanic lithosphere obducted onto continental crust. It includes Mesozoic and Cenozoic magmatic and sedimentary rocks, which provide a geological record of the processes that shaped the Indo-Myanmar Ranges.The site shows:
This makes the region a natural laboratory for studying continental rifting, plate convergence, oceanic crust, mantle-crust relationships and orogenic processes.
Under Criterion (x), the Naga Hills are important because they overlap with 4 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and 4 Important Bird Areas (IBAs), namely Satoi Range, Mount Ziphu, Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary & Saramati Area and Pfutsero-Chizami.The region is home to several important species, including IUCN red-listed fauna such as Blyth’s Tragopan, Dark-rumped Swift, Naga Wren-Babbler, Rufous-necked Hornbill and other vulnerable or endangered species.Important species mentioned in the input include:
Several amphibian species were first reported in India from Nagaland, including Megophrys wuliangshanensis, Megophrys glandulosa, Amolops viridimaculatus, Rana humeralis and Rhacophorus gongshanensis.
The Naga Hill region also supports several plant species exclusively confined to Nagaland. These include Areca nagansis, Begonia wattii, Bulbophyllum rothschildianum, Capillipedium nagense, Rhododendron wattii, Rhododendron vaccinoides, Rhododendron johnstoneanum and Rhododendron elliotii.This shows the strong ecological value of the region as part of one of the world’s 18 mega biodiversity hotspots.
The site overlaps with Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary and other community reserves, which are legally protected. The Geological Survey of India has declared Naga Hill Ophiolites as a National Geological Monument.The input also highlights that Naga oral traditions, folklore and folksongs play an important role in preserving traditional ecological knowledge and strengthening community-based conservation. However, erosion of Naga cultural practices may affect the continuity of traditional nature-based knowledge systems.
| Site | Country | Key Significance | Comparison with Naga Hill Ophiolite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macquarie Island | Australia | Oceanic crust and upper mantle exposed above sea level | Naga Ophiolite also exposes oceanic lithosphere, but as an obducted sequence in a continental collision zone |
| Tongariro National Park | New Zealand | Volcanic landscape with indigenous cultural value | Naga Hills also combine geological features with tribal cultural landscapes |
| Dja Faunal Reserve | Cameroon | Biodiversity hotspot and ecological processes | Naga Hills show how geodiversity supports unique habitats and species richness |
The Naga Hill Ophiolite strengthens India’s geo-heritage representation by highlighting the tectonic history of Northeast India and the role of the Indo-Myanmar Orogenic Belt in Earth’s geological evolution. Its combination of ophiolite geology, biodiversity richness, community conservation and cultural continuity gives it strong relevance for natural heritage recognition.
The site has been submitted to the UNESCO Tentative List by the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO. The Tentative List is published by the World Heritage Centre to ensure transparency, access to information and harmonization of Tentative Lists.
The Geological Survey of India has declared the Naga Hill Ophiolites as a National Geological Monument, as mentioned in the input.
The input mentions several IUCN red-listed species found in the Naga Hill region, including Blyth’s Tragopan, Dark-rumped Swift and Naga Wren-Babbler.
Updated – 30 Aug 2025 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre