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Biosphere Reserves in India

The biosphere is the biological component (supporting life) of the earth which includes the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.
The biosphere includes all living organisms on earth, together with the dead organic matter produced by them.
The biosphere is absent at extremes of the North and South poles, the highest mountains and the deepest oceans since existing hostile conditions there do not support life (life is the characteristic feature of the biosphere).

Occasionally spores of fungi and bacteria do occur at a great height beyond 8,000 metres, but they are metabolically inactive, and hence represent only dormant life.

Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over large areas of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination of both.
Biosphere Reserves tries to balance economic and social development and maintenance of associated cultural values along with the preservation of nature.
Biosphere Reserves are thus special environments for both people and nature and are living examples of how human beings and nature can co-exist while respecting each others’ needs.

The first biosphere reserve in the world was established in 1979. There are 701 Biosphere reserves across 124 countries in the world which also include 21 transboundary sites.
The largest Biosphere reserve in India is the Gulf of Mannar and the smallest Biosphere Reserve in India is Panna in Madhya Pradesh.
The first Biosphere Reserve in India is the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve which is a part of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.

A site must contain a protected and minimally disturbed core area of value for nature conservation.
The core area must be a bio-geographical unit and should be large enough to sustain a viable population representing all trophic levels.
The involvement of local communities and the use of their knowledge in biodiversity preservation.

Areas potential for preservation of traditional tribal or rural modes of living for harmonious use of the environment.

It is the most protected area of a biosphere reserve.
It may contain endemic plants and animals.
They conserve the wild relatives of economic species and also represent important genetic reservoirs having exceptional scientific interest.
A core zone is a protected region, like a National Park or Sanctuary/protected/regulated mostly under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
It is kept free from human interference.

The buffer zone surrounds the core zone and its activities are managed in this area in the ways that help in the protection of the core zone in its natural condition.
It includes restoration, limited tourism, fishing, grazing, etc; which are permitted to reduce its effect on the core zone.
Research and educational activities are to be encouraged.

It is the zone of cooperation where human ventures and conservation are done in harmony.
It includes settlements, croplands, managed forests and areas for intensive recreation and other economic uses characteristics of the region.

Conservation:
- Managing Biosphere Reserve’s genetic resources, endemic species, ecosystems, and landscapes.
- It prevents man-animal conflict.
- Along with the wildlife, culture and customs of tribal communities are also protected.
Development:
- Promoting economic and human growth that is sustainable on a sociocultural and ecological level. It seeks to strengthen the three pillars of sustainable development: social, economic and protection of the environment.
Logistic support:
- Promoting research activities, environmental education, training and monitoring in the context of local, national and international conservation and sustainable development.

Sl No	Year	Name	State
1	1986	Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve	Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka
2	1988	Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve	Uttarakhand
3	1989	Gulf of Mannar	Tamil Nadu
4	1988	Nokrek	Meghalaya
5	1989	Sundarbans	West Bengal
6	1989	Manas	Assam
7	1994	Simlipal	Odisha
8	1998	Dihang-Dibang	Arunachal Pradesh
9	1999	Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve	Madhya Pradesh
10	2005	Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve	Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
11	2008	Great Rann of Kutch	Gujarat
12	2009	Cold Desert	Himachal Pradesh
13	2000	Khangchendzonga	Sikkim
14	2001	Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve	Kerala, Tamil Nadu
15	1989	Great Nicobar	Andaman and Nicobar Islands
16	1997	Dibru-Saikhowa	Assam
17	2010	Seshachalam Hills	Andhra Pradesh
18	2011	Panna	Madhya Pradesh

Launched in 1971, UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
India is a signatory to the landscape approach supported by MAB programme.
MAB combines natural and social sciences, economics and education to improve human livelihoods and the equitable sharing of benefits, and to safeguard natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate, and environmentally sustainable.
A scheme called Biosphere Reserve is being implemented by Government of India since 1986, in which financial assistance is given in 90:10 ratio to the North Eastern Region States and three Himalayan states and in the ratio of 60:40 to other states for maintenance, improvement and development of certain items. The State Government prepares the Management Action Plan which is approved and monitored by Central MAB Committee.
There are a total of 12 biosphere reserves in India that have been recognized internationally under the Man and Biosphere Reserve program:
- Nilgiri (First to be included)
- Gulf of Mannar
- Sunderban
- Nanda Devi
- Nokrek
- Pachmarhi
- Similipal
- Achanakmar – Amarkantak
- Great Nicobar
- Agasthyamala
- Khangchendzonga (Added under Man and Biosphere Reserve Program in 2018)
- Panna (Added under Man and Biosphere Reserve Program in 2020)