Maarg Manthan · Topic 20.3

Biosphere Reserves in India and in UNESCO’s World Network

Environment & Ecology › Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment · Topic 20.3

Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems designated to promote solutions that reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use, under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, launched in 1971. In India, the Biosphere Reserve Programme began in 1986 as a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, notified in 1986, was the first. India has 18 notified biosphere reserves, among them Nilgiri, Nanda Devi, Nokrek, Manas, Sundarbans, Gulf of Mannar, Great Nicobar, Simlipal, Dibru-Saikhowa, Dehang-Dibang, Pachmarhi, Khangchendzonga, Agasthyamala, Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Kachchh, Cold Desert, Seshachalam and Panna. About a dozen of these (13 by recent counts) are in UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which includes Nilgiri (2000), Gulf of Mannar (2001), Sundarbans (2001), Nanda Devi (2004), Nokrek (2009), Pachmarhi (2009), Simlipal (2009), Achanakmar-Amarkantak (2012), Great Nicobar (2013), Agasthyamala (2016), Khangchendzonga (2018) and Panna (2020). Each reserve has three zones: a legally protected core area, a buffer zone where limited activities compatible with conservation are allowed, and an outer transition zone where people live and farm. Unlike national parks, biosphere reserves have no separate statute and may include several protected areas inside them. Hedge details: UNESCO listings change, so check the latest official list.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment

At a Glance

MAB 1971, UNESCO
India scheme 1986
First Nilgiri, 1986
Notified 18 reserves
UNESCO network About 13
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the elephant monitoring topic and covers the broader landscape designation that includes people, which differs from strictly protected parks and links with the next topic on wetlands and heritage sites. Previous topic: MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) Sites in India. Next topic: Ramsar Wetland Sites and Natural World Heritage Sites in India.

What Are Biosphere Reserves and How Are They Zoned?

Aspect	Details
Origin	UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, launched in 1971
India’s scheme	Centrally sponsored since 1986 under MoEFCC
First reserve	Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, 1986
Core area	Legally protected, minimal disturbance, for conservation
Buffer zone	Surrounds the core; research, education, ecotourism and limited use
Transition zone	Outer area of settlements, farming and sustainable development
Legal status	No separate Act; core areas are usually national parks or sanctuaries

Which Indian Reserves Are in the UNESCO Network?

Nilgiri: 2000, the first Indian entry
Gulf of Mannar: 2001, marine biosphere reserve
Sundarbans: 2001, mangroves and tigers
Nanda Devi: 2004, Himalayan Uttarakhand
Nokrek: 2009, Meghalaya
Pachmarhi: 2009, Madhya Pradesh
Simlipal: 2009, Odisha
Others: Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Great Nicobar, Agasthyamala, Khangchendzonga and Panna

What Else Should You Remember?

UNESCO MAB: an intergovernmental programme on people and nature
Seville Strategy: adopted in 1995 for the world network
Madrid Action Plan: 2008 to 2013 plan
Lima Action Plan: 2016 to 2025 plan
Functions: conservation, development and logistic support
Design: reserves are nominated by the government and recognised by UNESCO
World Network: over 700 biosphere reserves worldwide, checked against UNESCO updates
Indian reserves: 18 notified, listed above
Largest: Kachchh Biosphere Reserve in Gujarat is among the largest
Himalayan: Nanda Devi, Khangchendzonga, Dehang-Dibang and Cold Desert
Coastal: Gulf of Mannar, Sundarbans and Great Nicobar
Western Ghats: Nilgiri and Agasthyamala
Central India: Pachmarhi, Achanakmar-Amarkantak and Panna
Northeast: Manas, Dibru-Saikhowa, Nokrek and Dehang-Dibang
Eastern: Simlipal and Seshachalam
Seshachalam: Andhra Pradesh, red sanders
Gulf of Mannar: coral reefs, dugong and seagrass
Sundarbans: Bengal tiger and mangroves
Great Nicobar: saltwater crocodile and Nicobar megapode
Funding: Centre and states share costs for approved plans
Management: state forest departments with local committees
Zonation issue: people living in buffer and transition zones need livelihoods
Difference from national park: a biosphere reserve is a landscape that includes people, while a national park is a legally strict area
Link to previous: see MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) Sites in India
Link to next: see Ramsar Wetland Sites and Natural World Heritage Sites in India
Caution: lists change with new notifications, so check MoEFCC and UNESCO
Exam hint: remember zones, 1986, Nilgiri and the UNESCO year for each reserve
Nominations: The state proposes a reserve, the Centre approves it and a nomination dossier goes to UNESCO through the MAB national committee
Periodic review: UNESCO reviews each reserve every ten years to check that it still meets criteria
Research role: Reserves serve as sites for long-term monitoring, education and demonstration of sustainable practices
Local communities: Tribal and village groups use medicinal plants, honey and non-timber produce with permitted rules
Ecotourism: Controlled tourism is allowed in buffer zones with community participation
Gene pool: Reserves protect the genetic diversity of wild relatives of crops and endemic species
Climate monitoring: Long-term plots give baseline data to study climate change impacts
Management plan: Each reserve has a plan covering zones, activities, funding and monitoring
Cultural dimension: Many reserves protect landscapes of tribal culture and traditional knowledge along with species
Marine and coastal: Gulf of Mannar and Sundarbans show that the model also covers seas, estuaries and mangroves
Transboundary: Some reserves, such as the Sundarbans, are close to similar areas in a neighbouring country

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

First: Nilgiri, 1986
Zones: Core, buffer, transition
Body: UNESCO MAB
Current affairs link: New UNESCO additions
Common errors: treating biosphere reserves as a legal category

As an analytical point, biosphere reserves recognise that conservation works best when local people have a stake. The core protects species, while buffer and transition zones show how people can live with nature.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Idea People and nature
Zones Three
Network UNESCO

What Came Next?

The next topic covers Ramsar wetland sites and Natural World Heritage Sites in India. Next topic: Ramsar Wetland Sites and Natural World Heritage Sites in India.

Key People and Terms

MAB Man and the Biosphere Programme
Core area Strictly protected zone
Buffer zone Compatible use zone
Transition zone Settlement zone
WNBR World Network of Biosphere Reserves
UNESCO UN education and culture body

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

MAB started 1971.
India’s scheme 1986.
18 notified reserves.
Zones: core, buffer, transition.
First: Nilgiri.

Do Not Confuse With

Biosphere reserve and national park Landscape with people versus strict area
Buffer and transition zone Compatible use versus settlement zone
Notified and UNESCO listed National versus global recognition

Memory Hook

Core to buffer to transition, Nilgiri first in eighty-six.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for zones, first reserve and UNESCO list. These points help.

Idea People and nature
Zones Three
Gaps Livelihoods

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“What are biosphere reserves? How do they differ from national parks, and which Indian reserves are in the UNESCO network?”

How to Answer

Idea MAB.
Zones Three.
List India.
Gaps Livelihoods.

GS Relevance

Prelims: zones, MAB, first reserve, UNESCO list. GS Paper 3: conservation approaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a biosphere reserve?

A biosphere reserve is an area of land or coast designated under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme to combine conservation of biodiversity with sustainable use and the wellbeing of local people. It has a protected core, a buffer zone for compatible activities and an outer transition zone for settlements and farming.

How many biosphere reserves does India have?

India has 18 notified biosphere reserves under the central scheme begun in 1986. Of these, about 13 by recent counts are recognised in UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The first was Nilgiri in 1986. The number and list can change with new notifications and UNESCO decisions.

How are biosphere reserves different from national parks?

A national park is a legally defined area with strict protection and no human use, declared under the Wildlife Act. A biosphere reserve is a larger landscape without a separate statute, which often contains national parks or sanctuaries as core areas and includes buffer and transition zones where people live and work.

Which Indian biosphere reserves are in the UNESCO network?

They include Nilgiri, Gulf of Mannar, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Nokrek, Pachmarhi, Simlipal, Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Great Nicobar, Agasthyamala, Khangchendzonga and Panna, in the order of their recognition from 2000 onwards. Other recent entries should be checked on the UNESCO website.

What are the three zones of a biosphere reserve?

The core area is legally protected and used for conservation and low-impact research. The buffer zone around it allows activities such as research, education and limited ecotourism. The transition zone is the outer area where communities live and practise sustainable agriculture, forestry and other development.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Nilgiri was India's first biosphere reserve.

True

In 1986.

2 A biosphere reserve has a separate statute in India.

False

No separate Act.

3 MAB was launched in 1971.