NEW DELHI, September 28 — Himachal Pradesh’s Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve has been added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), bringing India’s total count to 13. The decision was taken at the 37th session of UNESCO’s International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme in Paris on Saturday.
The Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, spread across 7,770 square kilometres in the high-altitude landscapes of Lahaul-Spiti district, is among 26 new sites designated worldwide this year. With this expansion, the global network now covers 785 reserves in 142 countries.
“UNESCO designates 26 new biosphere reserves across 21 countries – the highest number in 20 years,” the world body said. “Since 2018, an additional one million square kilometres of natural areas have been brought under protection – equivalent to the size of Bolivia.”
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav welcomed the recognition, noting that India has stepped up conservation efforts. “India continues to make dedicated efforts towards preserving, protecting and restoring the ecosystem under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Yadav said in a post on X. He added that the development follows the addition of two Ramsar sites earlier this year, which raised India’s tally of wetlands of international importance to 93.
Perched between 3,300 and 6,600 meters, the Cold Desert Reserve encompasses windswept plateaus, glacial valleys, alpine lakes and stark high-altitude deserts. It includes Pin Valley National Park as well as Kibber and Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuaries.
According to UNESCO, the fragile ecosystem harbours 732 vascular plant species, including 30 endemic and 157 near-endemic to the Indian Himalayas. Vegetation includes alpine grasses, medicinal herbs, and rare species such as Willow-leaved sea-buckthorn, Himalayan birch and Persian juniper. The reserve is also home to snow leopards, Himalayan ibex, blue sheep, Himalayan wolves, and birds including the golden eagle and Himalayan snowcock.
The region sustains nearly 12,000 residents living in scattered villages. Communities practice traditional barley and pea farming, yak and goat herding, and Tibetan herbal medicine, with Buddhist monastic traditions and community councils regulating the use of fragile alpine resources.
UNESCO noted that the designation is expected to boost tourism and research, while underscoring the urgent need to safeguard mountain ecosystems from climate change and tourism pressures.
