Meghalaya's Root Bridges on tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites: Why this natural wonder needs to be preserved

Meghalaya’s living root bridges have been included in the tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

Found in over 70 villages in Meghalaya, the root bridges highlight the socio-cultural and botanical links between people and nature.

“Delighted to share that ‘Jingkieng Jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes of Meghalaya’ has been included in the @UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list,” Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma posted on Twitter.

Delighted to share that "Jingkieng Jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes of Meghalaya" has been included in the @UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list. I congratulate all community members and stakeholders in this ongoing journey.@PMOIndia

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) March 28, 2022

At present, there are about 100 known living root bridges spread across 72 villages in the state.

Last year, a National Convention on the root-bridges was held here where scientists presented their findings of unique species of orchids, amphibians, and mammals which can be found on these root-bridges.

Apart from the living root bridge, the Geoglyphs of Konkan region, Sri Veerabhadra Temple and Monolithic Bull (Nandi), Lepakshi have also made it to the Tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites this year.

What are the root bridges, how are they made and why are they important to be included in the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites:

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What are living root bridges and how are they grown?

Villagers grow the living root-bridges by training the Indian rubber fig tree {ficus elastica} on both sides of water bodies over a period of about 10 to 15 years where the roots form the bridge.

For centuries these root bridges, or “Jingkieng Jri”, have helped the indigenous communities of the region cross the swelling rivers during monsoon.

Building a single root bridge can take decades of work. Beginning with the planting of a sapling of the rubber tree that is found abundantly in the subtropical terrain of Meghalaya.

First the trees develop strong buttressing roots around their trunks and then after about a decade, they start sprouting secondary aerial roots from further up.

Due to a degree of elasticity, the aerial roots tend to join and grow together to form stable structures.

According to a BBC report, the bridge builders of the Khasi community weave aerial roots onto a bamboo or another wooden scaffolding, lead them across the river and implant them on the opposite bank.

In the method that has been perfected over centuries, the roots shorten, thicken and produce offshoots called daughter roots over time. These daughter roots are also trained over the river.

The roots are then intertwined with each other or other branches and trunks of the surrounding trees.

Over time the branches, aerial roots and leaf vessels, all start to naturally fuse together in a process called anastomosis and weave into a dense structure.

Unlike concrete and metal bridges, the root bridges grow stronger with time. Some bridges can hold up to 50 people at once.

Building and maintaining these bridges is passed on from generation to generation. Some bridges have been found to be more than 600 years old.

Why is it important to preserve them?

The root bridges not only produce their own building material but also absorb carbon dioxide over their lifetimes.

They help stabilise the soil and prevent landslides on riverbanks. While conventional bridges can disrupt the soil layers, root bridges can anchor different soil structures which helps protect against soil erosion, said Ferdinand Ludwig, professor for green technologies in landscape architecture at the Technical University of Munich, as quoted by the BBC.

Another scientist and a local to Meghalaya, Salvador Lyngdoh told BBC that fig trees are framework species that promote biodiversity around them: moss grows on them, squirrels live in their branches, birds nest within their canopy, and they support insects that help with pollination.

The act of turning these trees into bridges can also help animals to thrive in their habitat, he said.

What are World Heritage Sites and how are they chosen?

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance.

As of July 2021, a total of 1,154 World Heritage Sites (897 cultural, 218 natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 167 countries. With 58 selected areas, Italy is the country with the most sites on the list.

A World Heritage Site can be either cultural or natural areas or objects which are inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for having “outstanding universal value”.

According to The Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, a country must first list its significant cultural and natural sites into a document known as the Tentative List.

The sites selected from that list move onto the Nomination File, which is then evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union.

Any site that wasn’t first included in the Tentative List cannot be nominated.
How many World Heritage Sites are in India?

There are currently 32 cultural, seven natural and one mixed World Heritage Sites in India.
Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, and Taj Mahal made it to the list in 1983.

The latest sites to be added to the list Dholavira in Gujarat, Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple in Telangana in 2021.

There are 49 sites in the Tentative List including a group of monuments at Mandu and the historic ensemble of Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, Satpura tiger reserve, temples of Kanchipuram, temples at Bishnupur in West Bengal, and Sri Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab.
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With inputs from agencies_

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