November 3 is the first ‘The International Day for Biosphere Reserves’, to be celebrated beginning 2022.
About the ‘Biosphere Reserves’ –
Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by UNESCO for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over large area of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination thereof.
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.
Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located.
About the ‘World Network of Biosphere Reserves’ –
The World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) was formed in 1971, as a backbone for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and living in harmony with nature.
The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence.
The World Network of Biosphere Reserves promotes North-South and South-South collaboration and represents a unique tool for international co-operation through sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, building capacity and promoting best practices.
There are now 738 properties in 134 countries, including 12 in India, four in Sri Lanka, and three in the Maldives.
Biosphere Reserves in ‘South Asia’ –
In South Asia, over 30 biosphere reserves have been established.
The first one was the Hurulu Biosphere Reserve, in Sri Lanka, with 25,500 hectares of tropical dry evergreen forest.
In India, the first biosphere reserve was designated by UNESCO in 2000, namely, the blue mountains of the Nilgiris stretching over Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
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