UNESCO’s Biosphere Boom: 26 New Reserves Added in 2025 including India’s Cold Desert

UNESCO has just designated 26 new biosphere reserves across 21 countries, marking the largest expansion in two decades. This brings the World Network of Biosphere Reserves to 784 sites in 142 countries, now protecting 5% of the planet’s surface.

Key Highlights
- Six countries received their first-ever biosphere reserves: Angola, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Iceland, Oman, and Tajikistan.
- São Tomé and Príncipe became the first country to have its entire territory designated as a biosphere reserve.
- New reserves span diverse ecosystems—from India’s Cold Desert to Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, and France’s Alpine lakes to Saudi Arabia’s desert landscapes.

Why It Matters
These reserves act as “living laboratories”, balancing nature conservation with sustainable livelihoods. They protect:
- Over 60% of terrestrial vertebrate species
- 12% of mangroves, 10% of salt marshes, and 8% of seagrass meadows

Global Impact
Since 2018, UNESCO has added 1 million km² of protected natural areas—roughly the size of Bolivia. These efforts support the Kunming-Montreal target of conserving 30% of land and sea by 2030.

About Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (India)
Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, perched high in the trans-Himalayan region of northern India, spans approximately 7,770 km² across the dramatic landscapes of Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul– Spiti district. Encompassing windswept plateaus, glacial valleys, alpine lakes, and rugged highaltitude deserts, it is one of the coldest and driest ecosystems in UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Altitudes range from 3,300 to 6,600 m, covering the Pin Valley National Park and Kibber and Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuaries.

This fragile cold desert ecosystem supports hardy alpine grasses, medicinal herbs, and rare stands of Willow-leaved sea-buckthorn (Hippophae salicifolia), Himalayan birch (Betula utilis), and Persian juniper (Juniperus polycarpos). It harbors 732 species of vascular plants, including 30 endemics and 157 near-endemics of the Indian Himalayas. Iconic fauna include the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), Himalayan ibex (Capra sibirica), blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chanco), and rich birdlife such as the Himalayan snowcock (Tetraogallus himalayensis) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos daphanea).

Around 12,000 inhabitants live in scattered villages, practicing traditional pastoralism, yak and goat herding, barley and pea farming, and Tibetan herbal medicine, knowledge sustained through Buddhist monastic traditions and community councils that regulate the use of fragile alpine resources.

As India’s first high-altitude cold desert biosphere reserve, it highlights the urgent need to safeguard mountain ecosystems facing tourism pressures and climate change. Current initiatives include snow leopard conservation, glacial lake monitoring, community-based climate resilience, and environmental education programs that bridge Indigenous knowledge with scientific research—ensuring the survival of this stark yet vibrant Himalayan sanctuary.