The famous living root bridges found in Meghalaya in India have been included on the tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

These living root bridges are grown by the indigenous Khasi tribal communities. They facilitate connectivity in more than 75 remote villages in and around the wettest region on the planet. These simple suspension bridges are formed as the tree grows in shape to form living plant roots across a stream or river. Then the roots are allowed to strengthen and grow over time. Some bridges are believed to be hundreds of years old, and once they mature, they serve as bridges, and can last for more than 150 years, and have as many as 50 people crossing them.

As per the UNESCO, “These structural ecosystems have performed in extreme climatic conditions for centuries, and encapsulate a profound harmony between humans and nature”.