Biosphere Reserves in India

Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems which promote the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. They are internationally recognized within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme and nominated by national governments. There are over 500 biosphere reserves in over 100 countries around the world.

Selection Criteria of Biosphere Reserves

The concept of Biosphere Reserves, especially its zonation, into Core Area(s) (dedicated to conservation), Buffer Area(s) (sustainable use) and Transition Area(s) (equitable sharing of benefits) were later broadly adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD ) process which entered into force on 29th December, 1993. There are primary and secondary criteria to select a biosphere reserve as follows:

Primary Criteria:
  • A site that must contain an effectively protected and minimally disturbed core area of value of nature conservation and should include additional land and water suitable for research and demonstration of sustainable methods of research and management.
  • The core area should be typical of a biogeographical unit and large enough to sustain viable populations representing all trophic levels in the ecosystem.
Secondary Criteria
  • Areas having rare and endangered species
  • Areas having diversity of soil and micro-climatic conditions and indigenous varieties of biota.
  • Areas potential for preservation of traditional tribal or rural modes of living for harmonious use of environment.

Legal Backing to Biosphere Reserves

There is no comprehensive legislation in India dealing with all aspects of the Biosphere Reserves. The wildlife protection act is complementary to the set up of Biosphere Reserves to the extent that it has considerable flexibility and latitude to establish such reserves. It does not define a Biosphere Reserve.

Financial Assistance

The Ministry of Environment and Forest provides financial assistance to the respective State governments for conservation of landscape and biological diversity and cultural heritage.

Does MAB programme provide any funds for Biosphere Reserves?

Normally, the MAB-related activities are nationally financed. However, some seed funding is provided to assist countries in developing projects and/or to secure appropriate partnership contributions. Further, not all Biosphere reserves of the country are come under the Man & Biosphere Programme.

Differences between Biosphere Reserves and National Parks/ Sanctuaries

The Key differences are as follows:

  • While National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves, Community Reserves and Tiger Reserves are established as per provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, there is no law as such under which Biosphere Reserves are established.
  • No grazing or private tenurial rights land rights are allowed in National Parks. In Wildlife sanctuaries, they may be provided at the discretion of Chief Wildlife warden. However limited economic activity (sand and stone mining) is permitted in biosphere reserves. Further, Biosphere reserves serve as ‘living laboratories’ for testing out and demonstrating integrated management of land, water and biodiversity.
  • While wildlife sanctuaries and national parks are set up for the protection of mammals normally, biosphere reserves envisage protection of plant species, Invertebrates and biotic community as a whole.

Number of Biosphere Reserves in India

There are 18 notified Biosphere reserves in India. Out of them, 11 Biosphere Reserves are in the UNESCO’s MAB World Network.  These Biospehere Reserves and their respective years of including in MAB network are as follows:

Nilgiri (2000), Gulf of Mannar (2001), Sunderban (2001), Nanda Devi(2004), Nokrek (2009), Pachmarhi(2009), Similipal (2009), Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (2012) , Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve (2013) , Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (2016) and Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve(2018).

List of Biosphere Reserves in India

No.YearNameStatesTypeArea
12008Kachchh Biosphere ReserveGujaratSemi-Arid12454
21989Gulf of MannarTamil NaduCoasts10500
31989SunderbansWest BengalGigantic Delta9630
41988Nanda DeviUttaranchalWest Himalayas5860
51986Nilgiri Biosphere ReserveTamil Nadu, Kerala and KarnatakaWestern Ghats5520
61998Dehang DebangArunachal PradeshEast Himalayas5112
71999PachmarhiMadhya PradeshSemi-Arid4926
81994SimilipalOrissaDeccan Peninsula4374
92005Achanakamar – AmarkantakChhatisgarh, Madhya PradeshSemi-Arid3835
101989ManasAssamEast Himalayas2837
112000KanchanjungaSikkimEast Himalayas2620
122001AgasthyamalaiKeralaWestern ghats1701
131989Great NicobarAndaman and Nicobar IslandsIslands885
141988NokrekMeghalayaEast Himalayas820
151997Dibru-SaikhowaAssamEast Himalayas765
162009Cold DesertHimachal PradeshWest HimalayasNA
172010Sheshachalam HillsThe hill ranges spread in parts of Chittoor and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh on 20th September, 2010Eastern Ghats4755
182011Panna Biosphere ReservePart of Panna and Chhattarpur districts in Madhya Pradesh NA

Rationale Behind Biosphere Reserves

It appears that the Biosphere reserves mean the duplication of the conservation efforts of the protected areas, but it is not so. The idea is the “Biosphere Reserves” is to strengthen the “National Efforts” in conformity to the “International Practices”. The basic truth is that “most of the National parks in India were previously hunting grounds. Most of the wildlife sanctuaries are declared by the state governments out of a vague idea of protecting a particular species”. The present domestic legislations don’t represent a “systematic selection of the ecosystems”. Neither the wildlife sanctuaries nor the national parks focus on conservation of plant species, Invertebrates and biotic community as a whole. This is the major shortcoming of the present system. Further _

  • The focus of WS/NP is on conservation of mammals. No focus to the other species which may be ecologically more vital.
  • The focus of the MAB and Biosphere Reserves is to protect the “threatened Habitats” and not “a particular threatened species”.
  • Through an Internationally recognized mechanism, the Research and Monitoring of the existing protected areas can be carried out on regular basis.

How a Biosphere Reserve is declared?

Biosphere reserves are declared by state or central governments by notification. Once established, the National Governments can nominate them under the UNESCOs Man & Biosphere (MAB) Programme. This programme was launched in 1971. If UNESCO accepts the proposal, the biosphere reserve is entered World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) under the MAB Programme. Within this network, exchanges of information, experience and personnel are facilitated. Department of Environment is nodal agency for Biosphere Reserve programmes. It carries out detailed scientific investigation, maps the biogeographical regions and vegetation types, identified the critical areas. Botanical Survey of India and Zoological Survey of India assist in this work. The central Government assumes the responsibility of meeting the costs of set up while the state government would set up desired machinery.


32 Comments

  1. sreekanth1729

    July 27, 2011 at 12:56 pm

    Sir can you please give the list of biosphere reserves as the table link given by you is not functioning… According to the report of ministry of enviornment and forest for the year 2010-11 only 17 biosphere reserves are there and the 17th is Seshachalam hills in Andhra Pradesh… Is there any new addition after that as you mention there are 18 biosphere reserves.
    Thanks & Regards
    Sreekanth.

    Reply
  2. sreekanth1729

    July 27, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    Thank you sir for uploading the list of biosphere reserves.

    Reply
  3. M.Bubesh Guptha

    February 22, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    Thank you very much uploading such kind of information.

    Reply
  4. priti

    April 6, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    sir thnk u for this info .
    cn u plse tell that biosphere reserve is a type of protected area or a special protected area.

    Reply
  5. Ali Akbar

    April 28, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    thnx u sir, for these beautiful information.

    Reply
  6. chandra

    April 28, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    thanku sir for info

    Reply
  7. preeti

    June 27, 2013 at 3:07 pm

    thnx for ditel

    Reply
  8. Ajeet

    July 9, 2013 at 5:23 am

    List has grown to 9 from 8 for UNESCO MAB programme
    ‘Nicobar Islands’ is added in 2013.

    Reference:-
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosphere_reserves_of_India

    Reply
  9. Abhishek Maurya

    July 15, 2013 at 1:46 pm

    Dear,
    i know total population of achanakmar-amarkantak biosphere reserve in census data 2011.

    Reply
  10. praveen

    July 19, 2013 at 5:15 pm

    i am glad to find this kind of information through networking. it will be very beneficial for civil service aspirants.

    Reply
  11. Aanya

    July 26, 2013 at 1:29 pm

    very helpful

    Reply
  12. Himanshu rathore

    July 30, 2013 at 10:50 am

    thank you sir it is very helpful ..

    Reply
  13. Shilpa

    August 8, 2013 at 8:04 am

    Thnx a lot sir…
    This info was very helpful… nd covered all the points…

    Reply
  14. Manish

    August 11, 2013 at 11:29 pm

    thnx

    Reply
  15. krishna murthy

    August 14, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    Thanku sir.

    this information is useful for all compitative exams

    Reply
  16. [email protected]

    August 16, 2013 at 11:59 am

    Thank you for provide info

    Reply
  17. mithoo

    August 25, 2013 at 3:32 pm

    nice article .. there’s an addition though
    now total 9 reserves are under UNESCO MAB
    .. Nicobar islands was included in 2013

    Reply
  18. unknown

    December 17, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    thank you you my have included some pics too.

    Reply
  19. Praveen

    December 29, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    A lot of thanks for uploading the biosphere reserves

    Reply
  20. Tanwir Alam

    January 30, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    I feel very confident after joining wid dis site….
    amazzinggg, wonderful ,unbeatable, …
    every necessary current affairs and newses contain dis site for every gvt competitive examination… now I can make better notes without waisting my time instead of unnecessary study for my upsc examination….

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    Reply
  21. dipti

    March 18, 2014 at 7:59 pm

    thank u for this info..

    Reply
  22. Kumar Utsav

    May 18, 2014 at 8:37 pm

    very nice keep it up.

    Reply
  23. Sharan

    August 27, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    Beautiful definitions and lists

    Reply
  24. anish

    December 9, 2014 at 3:50 pm

    this helped me in my project a lot .thanks

    Reply
  25. Col RKSarmah

    April 8, 2015 at 5:48 pm

    Thank you for the comprehensive email info.

    Reply
  26. Anil Bhandari

    April 13, 2015 at 1:07 am

    Sir, kindly correct it..now total 9 are in UNESCO list..latest addition is Nicobar islands (added in 2013)

    Reply
  27. sree

    May 15, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    sir, thax 4 d articl. pls provide major rivers, mountains etc within each biosphere reserves as such qns are asked by upsc.

    Reply
  28. Mesak Changsan

    June 1, 2015 at 10:50 pm

    its very much useful. thanks a lot sir

    Reply
  29. Ranibala

    June 16, 2015 at 1:55 pm

    thanks for your info,its so helpful ……

    Reply
    • soumya

      July 7, 2015 at 5:26 pm

      its true!!!!!!!!

      Reply
  30. soumya

    July 7, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    nice collection!

    Reply
  31. [email protected]

    July 28, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    Very helpful information for exam point of view even for upsc too

    Thank u very much

    Reply

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