\n| \n Core Zone<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n Legally protected area dedicated to long-term conservation of ecosystems, species and genetic diversity.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| \n Buffer Zone<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n Surrounds or adjoins the core area. Supports activities compatible with conservation, including research, education, monitoring and regulated tourism.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| \n Transition Zone<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n Outer area where communities live and undertake sustainable economic and human activities.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nThis zonation allows biosphere reserves to combine strict conservation with activities that support local livelihoods and sustainable resource use.<\/span><\/p>\nUNESCO\u2019s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme<\/b><\/h2>\nThe <\/span>Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme is an intergovernmental scientific programme launched by UNESCO in 1971.<\/b><\/p>\nIt aims to improve the relationship between people and their environment by combining natural and social sciences. The programme promotes scientific research, capacity-building and sustainable management of natural resources.<\/span><\/p>\nIts major objectives include:<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Conserving biodiversity and maintaining healthy ecosystems.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Promoting sustainable economic and human development.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Supporting research, monitoring and environmental education.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Encouraging cooperation between governments, scientists, local communities and other stakeholders.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Under this programme, UNESCO recognises biosphere reserves as sites where innovative approaches to conservation and sustainable development can be developed, tested and shared.<\/span><\/p>\nBiosphere Reserves in India Recognised by UNESCO<\/b><\/h3>\nIndia has 13 biosphere reserves included in UNESCO\u2019s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), out of a total of 18 notified biosphere reserves nationwide. <\/b>The latest addition was the <\/span>Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in Himachal Pradesh, recognised in September 2025.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\nThe 13 UNESCO-Recognised Biosphere Reserves in India are:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Nilgiri (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka) – Recognised in 2000.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu) – Recognised in 2001.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Sunderban (West Bengal) – Recognised in 2001.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand) – Recognised in 2004.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Nokrek (Meghalaya) – Recognised in 2009.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pachmarhi (Madhya Pradesh) – Recognised in 2009.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Similipal (Odisha) – Recognised in 2009.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Achanakmar-Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) – Recognised in 2012.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Great Nicobar (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) – Recognised in 2013.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Agasthyamala (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) – Recognised in 2016.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Khangchendzonga (Sikkim) – Recognised in 2018.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Panna (Madhya Pradesh) – Recognised in 2020.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Cold Desert (Himachal Pradesh) – Recognised in 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR)<\/b><\/h2>\nThe <\/span>World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR)<\/b> is a global network of sites designated under UNESCO\u2019s MAB Programme.<\/span><\/p>\nIt facilitates international cooperation and the exchange of knowledge, research and best practices among biosphere reserves.<\/span><\/p>\n\n- As of 2026, the network comprised 797 biosphere reserves across 145 countries.<\/span><\/li>\n
- These reserves cover approximately 7.5 million square kilometres, representing more than 5% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Around 90% of the sites overlap with Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), highlighting their importance for global biodiversity conservation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The network also supports regional and thematic cooperation to address shared challenges such as climate change, ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and sustainable livelihoods.<\/span><\/p>\nSignificance of Biosphere Reserves<\/b><\/h2>\nBiosphere reserves are important because they connect biodiversity conservation with the needs of local communities and sustainable development.<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Conservation of biodiversity: <\/b>They protect diverse ecosystems, endangered species and genetic resources.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation: <\/b>Forests, wetlands, mangroves and other ecosystems within these reserves support carbon storage, regulate water cycles and strengthen resilience to climate-related risks.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Sustainable livelihoods:<\/b> They promote nature-based livelihoods and responsible use of natural resources, reducing pressure on ecosystems.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Scientific research: <\/b>They provide sites for long-term ecological monitoring and research on interactions between human activities and natural systems.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Protection of cultural diversity: <\/b>They help preserve traditional knowledge, cultural practices and the relationship of Indigenous and local communities with their environment.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Global environmental cooperation: <\/b>Through the WNBR, they facilitate the exchange of knowledge and coordinated responses to environmental challenges.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Biosphere reserves also contribute to the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by linking ecosystem protection with inclusive and sustainable development.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"International Day for Biosphere Reserves 2026 falls on November 3, highlighting UNESCO’s MAB Programme, biodiversity conservation and India’s 13 UNESCO-listed reserves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":131712,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[11305,11304],"class_list":["post-131727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-general-studies","tag-international-day-for-biosphere-reserve","tag-international-day-for-biosphere-reserves-2026","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131727"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":131731,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131727\/revisions\/131731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} | | |