Biosphere Reserves in India: Here is the list of Biosphere Reserves in India are mentioned. The Biosphere Reserves, their functions, and the zones of Biosphere Reserves in India are detailed in this PDF. The Biosphere Reserves of India with the international standard are also noted here. It will be beneficial for the students preparing for the government exams. The importance of the biosphere reserves of India and their conservation are explained here. Here, the criteria for developing the Biosphere Reserves in India and their history are mentioned. Finally, the list of top 10 Biosphere Reserves in India and some of the basic FAQs are listed here for further reference.

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About Biosphere Reserves 

Biosphere Reserves are the areas that are used to protect the animals and plants which restores and conserves the biodiversity and the tribal life in that area. This was recognized and designated by UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB Programme) in 1971. These programs are made to promote sustainable development based on sound science and local community efforts. They provide solutions to global challenges. They include the coastal, marine, and terrestrial which promote solutions reconciling biodiversity conservation. The UNESCO-recognized Biosphere Reserves must fall into three main features. I.e.,

• The most typical land and sea ecosystems of the world.
• Living and working in a way of harmony with nature.
• By preserving and conserving natural ecosystems and biodiversity, sustainable equilibrium is maintained.

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Biosphere Reserves in India - The List

• The recognition as a Biosphere Reserves in India is officially issued by the notification of the government under UNESCO’s MAB Programme.
• There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India and 12 Biosphere Reserves are recognized by UNESCO’s MAB Programme. 
• Following is the list of Biosphere Reserves of India. 

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S. No	Biosphere Reserves in India	Date of designation	Location with states	Area in Sq.km
1	Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve	01.09.1986	Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka - Part of Wayanad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Madumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valley and Siruvani Hills.	5520
2	Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve	18.01.1988	Uttarakhand - Part of Chamoli, Pithoragarh, and Almora districts.	5860
3	Nokrek Biosphere Reserve	01.09.1988	Meghalaya - Part of East, West, and South Garo Hill districts.	820
4	Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve	06.01.1989	Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Southernmost region of the island.	885
5	Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve	18.02.1989	Tamil Nadu - The Indian part of the Gulf of Mannar extends from Rameswaram island in the North to Kanyakumari in the South.	10500
6	Manas Biosphere Reserve	14.03.1989	Assam - Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, and Darang districts.	2837
7	Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve	29.03.1989	West Bengal - Part of the delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra river system in the state.	9630
8	Simlipal Biosphere Reserve	21.06.1994	Odisha - Part of the Mayurbhanj district.	4374
9	Dibru – Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve	28.07.1997	Assam - Part of the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.	765
10	Dehang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve	02.09.1998	Arunachal Pradesh - Part of Upper Siang, West Siang, and Dibang Valley districts.	5111.5
11	Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve	03.03.1999	Madhya Pradesh - Part of Betul, Hoshangabad and Chhindwara districts.	4981.72
12	Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve	07.02.2000	Sikkim - Part of the North and West districts in the state.	2619.92
13	Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve	12.11.2001	Tamil Nadu and Kerala - Part of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and, Pathanamthitta districts in Kerala.	3500.36
14	Achanakmar- Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve	30.3.2005	Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh - Part of the Anuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh and Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh.	3835.51
15	Great Rann of Kutch	29.01.2008	Gujarat - Part of Kachchh, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Patan districts.	12454
16	Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve	28.08.2009	Himachal Pradesh - Pin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu and Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary.	7770
17	Seshachalam Hills Biosphere Reserve	20.09.2010	Andhra Pradesh - Seshachalam hill ranges in the Eastern Ghats encompass part of the Chittoor and Kadapa districts.	4755.997
18	Panna Biosphere Reserve	25.08.2011	Madhya Pradesh - Part of Pann and Chhatarpur districts.	2998.98

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Biosphere Reserves in India (By UNESCO Recognition)

Out of 18 Biosphere Reserves in India, 12 were recognized by UNESCO’s MAB Programme which are listed below.

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S. No	Biosphere Reserves of India	Year of Recognition	States
1	Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve	2000	Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka
2	Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve	2001	Tamil Nadu
3	Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve	2001	West Bengal
4	Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve	2004	Uttarakhand
5	Similipal Biosphere Reserve	2009	Odisha
6	Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve	2009	Madhya Pradesh
7	Nokrek Biosphere Reserve	2009	Meghalaya
8	Achanakmar- Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve	2012	Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
9	Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve	2013	Andaman and Nicobar Islands
10	Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve	2016	Tamil Nadu and Kerala
11	Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve	2018	Sikkim
12	Panna Biosphere Reserve	2020	Madhya Pradesh

Biosphere Reserves - Zones

They are generally divided into three zones which are interconnected and also utilized to meet local requirements. I.e., 

1. Core Zone
2. Buffer Zone
3. Transition Zone

Biosphere Reserves - Core Zone

Humans are strictly not allowed to enter because it is a legally protected area under the Wildlife Protection Act, of 1972. Data from these places determines the maintenance of environmental quality and also to sustain the nearby activities. It conserves the ecosystems, species, landscapes and genetic variations.

Biosphere Reserves - Buffer Zone

In this zone, Human interference is allowed but it should not affect the ecological diversity. It surrounds the main region which is the core zone. It also protects the core zone in its natural condition. The activities in this area help to manage the natural vegetation in agricultural lands, fishing, and also enhance the production quality. Research and educational activities in this zone are encouraged. 

Biosphere Reserves - Transition Zone

This is the outer part of the biosphere reserve. People around this zone will utilize the natural resources of the area. This is also known as “Area of Collaboration”. Here all the human and economic activities are carried out. It also consists of all agricultural practices and settlements 

farms and woods that have been managed for economic purposes.

Top 10 Biosphere Reserves of India (By Area in Sq.km)

Here are the Top 10 Biosphere Reserves in India:

Top 10 Biosphere Reserves in India (By Area)
S. No	Biosphere Reserves in India	States	Area in Sq.km
1	Great Rann of Kutch	Gujarat	12,454
2	Gulf of Mannar	Tamil Nadu	10,500
3	Sundarbans	West Bengal	9,630
4	Nanda Devi	Uttarakhand	5,860
5	Simlipal	Odisha	5,569
6	Pachmarhi	Madhya Pradesh	4,926
7	Agasthyamalai	Kerala and Tamil Nadu	3,500
8	Manas	Assam	2,837
9	Khangchendzonga	Sikkim	2,169
10	Nokrek	Meghalaya	820

 

Biosphere Reserves in India - Functions and Importance

• Biosphere Reserves of India protects the plants and animal species and also the beautiful landscapes to stay for a long time and healthy.
• Without hurting the environment, it develops people's lives by earning money.
• Biosphere Reserves in India sustainably help the people and also the scientists by giving the sources for research projects. 
• It restores the damages caused by ecosystems and also by natural habitats.
• Biosphere Reserves of India helps in the land management for all the land owners, farmers, scientists, and also for the conservation groups.
• They prevent soil erosion and all other ecosystem damage and also produce healthy ecosystems.
• Biosphere Reserves of India also creates awareness for the local commodity people about concerns of environmental damage.
• Biosphere Reserves in India will highlight the uniqueness of the desired location to attract tourists.

Biosphere Reserves in India - History and Criteria for Designation

• UNESCO published the list of biosphere reserves in 1971, two years after the launch of the MAB programme. 
• According to the law, these regions are associated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• The first biosphere reserve was created in 1979.
• Including 22  transboundary locations spread over 134 nations now there are 748 Biosphere reserves across the world.
• Biosphere reserves are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
• The criteria are;

• The sites of the core area should be minimally distributed and protected.
• Representing all tropic levels, the Core area should sustain a viable population and it must be a bio-geographical unit.
• The usage of the local community's knowledge to link biodiversity conservation should be ensured.
• The Biosphere Reserve area should have the potential to preserve the traditional tribal or rural modes of living in a harmonious environment. 

Biosphere Conservation

The Biosphere Reserve in India is a scheme that was implemented by the Indian government in 1986. The financial assistance for the Biosphere Reserve is given in a 90:10 ratio for northeastern region states and Himalayan states. For other states, a 60:40 ratio of financial assistance was given for maintaining, developing, and improving certain items. The state government prepared the management action plan and it was approved and monitored by the central MAB committee.

Biosphere Reserves in India - FAQs

Q: How many biosphere reserves are in India?

There is a list of 18 biosphere reserves in India which are mentioned in this PDF.

Q: How many biosphere reserves in India which UNESCO recognize?

UNESCO recognizes 12 biosphere reserves in India.

Q: Which is the 1st Biosphere Reserve of India?

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is located in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala, is India’s first biosphere reserve.

Q: Which is the largest Biosphere Reserves of India?

The Gulf of Kachchh, located in Gujarat, is the largest biosphere reserve in India.

Q: Which is the smallest Biosphere Reserves of India?

Dibru-Saikhowa, situated in Assam, is the smallest biosphere reserve in India.