India’s Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve Added to UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves and Two New Ramsar Sites Added in Bihar

In September 2025, the 37th Session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) International Coordinating Council for the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme was held in Paris, France. During this session, India’s Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (CDBR) in Himachal Pradesh was included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), highlighting India’s growing global commitment to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.

      - India now has 13 biosphere reserves recognized under the UNESCO WNBR, with the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve covering 7,770 sq.km across Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district, representing a unique cold desert ecosystem.

      - Alongside this, India added two new Ramsar sites from Bihar: Gokul Jalashay (448 hectares) in Buxar district and Udaipur Jheel (319 hectares) in West Champaran district, strengthening the country’s wetland conservation efforts.

Main Point :-   (i) With these additions, India now has 93 Ramsar sites spanning 13,60,719 hectares, making it the country with the highest number of Ramsar sites in Asia and the third highest globally, after the United Kingdom (176 sites) and Mexico (144 sites).

      (ii) This recognition of both terrestrial and wetland ecosystems underscores India’s role in global biodiversity conservation, promoting sustainable development, habitat preservation, and ecological research across diverse environmental landscapes.

(iii) The Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve and new Ramsar sites boost scientific research, eco-tourism, and local community participation in conservation, supporting UNESCO’s MAB Programme goals.
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