UNESCO designates 14 new biosphere reserves

• The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designated 14 new biosphere reserves, recognising their importance for conserving biodiversity and cultural heritage.

• This takes the World Network of Biosphere Reserves to 797 sites in 145 countries. 

• This year, for the first time, a whole city has been designated as a biosphere reserve, Quebec City. 

• Aruba became the second country to have its entire territory designated as such. 

• In 2025, Sao Tome and Principe became the first State to have its entire territory designated as a biosphere reserve.

The 14 newly designated biosphere reserves are:

• Albania – Shkoder Lake

• Algeria – Theniet El Had

• Aruba – Aruba Island

• Azerbaijan – Great Caucasus

• Cameroon – Takamanda – Cross River Gorilla

• Canada – Quebec City

• Iran – Dalankuh-Qamishlou

• Mongolia – Tost Toson Bumbiin Nuruu

• Montenegro – Skadar Lake Watershed

• Paraguay – Sur del Alto Parana

• Philippines – Matibay na Bayan ng Sablayan

• Portugal – Serra da Estrela

• Timor-Leste – Nino Konis Santana

• Vietnam – Phong Nha-Ke Bang.

What are Biosphere Reserves?

• 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 are places that provide local solutions to global challenges. 

• Biosphere reserves include terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. 

• Each site promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.

• They are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. 

• The first biosphere reserves were designated in 1976.

• Biosphere reserves are designated under the intergovernmental MAB Programme by the Director-General of UNESCO following the decisions of the MAB International Coordinating Council (MAB ICC). Their status is internationally recognised. Member States can submit sites through the designation process.

• Biosphere Reserves involve local communities and all interested stakeholders in planning and management. 

They integrate three main functions:

1) Conservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity.

2) Economic development that is socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable.

3) Logistic support, underpinning development through research, monitoring, education and training.

These three functions are pursued through the Biosphere Reserves’ three main zones:

1) Core Areas: It comprises a strictly protected zone that contributes to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation

2) Buffer Zones: It surrounds or adjoins the core area, and is used for activities compatible with sound ecological practices that can reinforce scientific research, monitoring, training and education.

3) Transition Area: It is where communities foster socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable economic and human activities.

• Biosphere reserves play an important scientific role, serving as a site for research and monitoring, providing valuable data and insights that can inform environmental management and policy decisions.

• Furthermore, they help in achieving global development targets such as those set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, inter alia, on protecting and restoring significant portions of the Earth’s ecosystems by 2030.

• They also promote unique local sustainable development ideas, safeguard biodiversity, and combat climate change.

Biosphere Reserves in India

There are 13 Indian sites in UNESCO’s list of biosphere reserves.

They are: 

• Nilgiri

• Gulf of Mannar

• Sunderban

• Nanda Devi National Park

• Nokrek

• Pachmarhi

• Similipal National Park

• Achanakmar-Amarkantak

• Great Nicobar

• Agasthyamala

• Khangchendzonga

• Panna National Park

• Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India.