In November 1971, the International Co-ordinating Council (ICC) of the UNESCO's MAB programme introduced the designation ‘Biosphere Reserve’ for natural areas in its first meeting held in Paris.
The National Biosphere Reserve Programme in India was initiated in 1986 to serve a wider base for conservation of an entire range of living resources and their ecological foundations in addition to an already established protected area network system.
What are Biosphere Reserves?
As per UNESCO, Biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity. They provide local solutions to global challenges and includes terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Each site promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.
These are nominated by the national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located.
After their designation, biosphere reserves remain under national sovereign jurisdiction, yet they share their experience and ideas nationally, regionally and internationally within the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
Biosphere Reserves in India
1. Achankamar- Amarkantak
Location: Covers parts of Anupur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh and parts Bilaspur districts of Chhattisgarh.
2. Agasthyamalai
Location: Neyyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries and their adjoining areas in Kerala.
3. Cold Desert
Location: Pin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife in Himachal Pradesh.
4. Dihang- Dibang
Location: Part of Siang and Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
5. Dibru- Saikhowa
Location: Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts (Assam)
Project Tiger Reserves of India
6. Great Nicobar
Location: Southernmost islands of Andaman & Nicobar.
7. Gulf of Mannar
Location: Indian part of Gulf of Mannar between India and Srilanka (Tamil Nadu)
8. Kachchh
Location: Part of Katchchh, Rajkot, Surendra Nagar and Patan Civil Districts of Gujarat State.
9. Khangchendzonga
Location: Parts of Kanchenjunga hills and Sikkim.
10. Manas
Location: Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamprup and Daran districts (Assam)
11. Nanda Devi
Location: Part of Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts (Uttarakhand)
12. Nilgiri
Location: Part Wayanad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Madumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valley and Siruvani hills (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka)
13. Nokrek
Location: Part of Garo Hills (Meghalaya)
14. Seshachalam Hills
Location: Covering parts of Chittor and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh
15. Simlipal
Location: Part of Mayurbhanj district (Orissa)
16. Sunderban
Location: Parts of the delta of Ganges and Brahmaputra river system (West Bengal)
17. Panna
Location: Parts of Panna and Chhattarpur districts (Madhya Pradesh)
18. Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve
Location: Parts of Betul, Hoshangabad and Chhindwara districts (Madhya Pradesh)
List of Biosphere Reserves in India
| Name of Biosphere Reserves | Location |
| Achankamar- Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve | Parts of Anupur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh and part of Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh. |
| Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve | Neyyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries and their adjoining areas (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) |
| Cold Desert | Pin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife (Himachal Pradesh) |
| Dihang- Dibang | Part of Siang and Dibang Valley (Arunachal Pradesh) |
| Dibru- Saikhowa | Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts (Assam) |
| Great Nicobar | Southernmost islands of Andaman & Nicobar. |
| Great Rann of Kutch | Parts of Kutch, Morbi, Surendranagar and Patan districts (Gujarat) |
| Gulf of Mannar | The Indian part of Gulf of Mannar between India and Srilanka (Tamil Nadu) |
| Khangchendzonga | Parts of Kanchenjunga hills (Sikkim) |
| Manas | Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang districts (Assam) |
| Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve | Part of Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts (Uttarakhand) |
| Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve | Part Wayanad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Madumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valley (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka) |
| Nokrek | Part of West Garo Hills (Meghalya) |
| Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve | Parts of Betul, Hoshangabad and Chhindwara districts (Madhya Pradesh) |
| Panna | Parts of Panna and Chhattarpur districts (Madhya Pradesh) |
| Seshachalam Hills | Parts of Chittor and Kadapa districts (Andhra Pradesh) |
| Simlipal | Part of Mayurbhanj district (Odisha) |
| Sunderbans | Part of delta of Ganges and Brahamaputra river system (West bengal) |
The National Biosphere Reserve Programme in India was initiated in 1986 to serve a wider base for conservation of entire range of living resources and their ecological foundations in addition to already established protected area network system. It is this ecological diversity that makes India one of the mega-diversity regions in the world. Efforts are on to designate at least one Biosphere Reserve in each of the bio-geographic Province.
Environment & Ecology: A Complete Study Material
Imgae source: www.cpreec.org
Date Source: www.unesco.org; and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Govt. of India)
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