Among the 26 new biosphere reserves established by UNESCO on Saturday (September 27, 2025) was India's Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, which is situated high in the trans-Himalayan region. The announcement was made by the organisation. Now, thirteen biospheres in India are part of the WNBR, which is an initiative by UNESCO. Northern India's Lahaul-Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh is home to the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, which covers an area of about 7,770 square kilometres, according to UNESCO.
Included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) by UNESCO, the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (CDBR) in Himachal Pradesh is one of twenty-five such reserves across multiple nations. This international recognition puts the 7,770-sq km area, which spans the Lahaul-Spiti district of the state, on the conservation map worldwide. Now, thirteen biospheres in India are on the WNBR list, thanks to this addition.
What happened at the recent UNESCO summit?
At Saturday's 37th session of UNESCO's International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) in Paris, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that India's Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve would be included in the WNBR. The cold desert biosphere's official designation by UNESCO should boost interest in visiting and studying the area. According to UNESCO, six nations have announced the creation of their first biosphere reserves this year, with Sao Tome and Principe making history as the first state to have its whole territory classified as a biosphere reserve.
According to the statement, six nations—Angola, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Iceland, Oman, and Tajikistan—saw the designation of their first biosphere reserve on Saturday. Furthermore, it was mentioned that further reserves have been identified in the following countries: Albania, China, Ethiopia, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mongolia, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden. Over the past week, the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves has convened in UNESCO, bringing together over 2,000 experts, public decision-makers, members of civil society, indigenous representatives, and youth. The purpose of this gathering is to reflect on the successes of this groundbreaking UNESCO program and to plan for its continuation in the next decade.
The UNESCO Biosphere: what is it?
Biosphere reserves protect some of the most diverse and delicate ecosystems on Earth. Among the 732 vascular plant species found in the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, 30 are considered unique to the Indian Himalayas, and 157 are considered near-endemic. This information comes from UNESCO. This reserve encompasses the Pin Valley National Park, the Kibber and Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuaries, and other areas with elevations ranging from 3,300 to 6,600 m, according to the statement.
In this delicate cold desert environment, you can find medicinal herbs, rare stands of Persian juniper, Himalayan birch, and willow-leaved sea buckthorn, as well as hardy alpine grasses. The snow leopard, blue sheep, Himalayan wolf, and Himalayan ibex are all iconic animals, and the region is home to a diverse array of birds, including the golden eagle and Himalayan snowcock. There are about 12,000 people living in various villages there. They follow traditional practices such as pastoralism, herding yaks and goats, growing barley and peas, and using Tibetan herbal medicine. Buddhist monastic traditions have passed down this knowledge, which community councils regulate to protect the delicate alpine resources. In a statement, UNESCO said that the creation of this biosphere reserve—the first of its kind in India—highlights the critical need to protect mountain ecosystems from the negative impacts of climate change and increased tourism.
What we know about the Spiti Valley cold desert
Located in the Trans-Himalayan region, the reserve covers an area of 3,300 to 6,600 m in elevation and includes the whole Spiti Wildlife Division as well as parts of the Lahaul Forest Division, such as Baralacha Pass, Bharatpur, and Sarchu. It is one of the wettest and coldest ecosystems in WNBR, including Pin Valley National Park, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandratal Wetland, and the Sarchu plains with windswept plateaus, glacier valleys, alpine lakes, and a high-altitude desert. To achieve a balance between preservation, sustainable usage, and community engagement, the Cold Desert is designated into three sections: the core (2,665 sq km), the buffer (3,977 sq km), and the transition (1,128 sq km). It is home to 655 species of herbs, 41 species of shrubs, and 17 species of trees; among these, 14 are endemic, and 47 are medicinal plants that are essential to the Sowa Rigpa/Amchi system. The snow leopard serves as the flagship species among its 119 bird species and 17 mammalian species; the Spiti valley is home to 800 blue sheep, which provide a strong prey base for the leopards. Mountain wolves and Himalayan ibex are also seen in this area.
According to a UNESCO statement, the approximately 12,000 people who call these villages home engage in traditional pastoralism, yak and goat herding, barley and pea farming, Tibetan herbal medicine, and the regulation of the use of delicate alpine resources through community councils.