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Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve

Posted 12 Nov 2025

3 minread

In Summary

India's Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, part of UNESCO’s network, is its first high-altitude reserve, featuring unique flora, fauna, and cultural heritage, contributing to global biodiversity and sustainable development efforts.

In Summary

Why in the news?

UNESCO designated the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in India – as part of 26 new sites – to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).

List of Biosphere Reserves in India in the UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR)

About Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve

Location: This is India's first high-altitude cold desert biosphere reserve and one of the coldest and driest ecosystems in UNESCO's WNBR.
- It is located in Himalayas and stretches from Ladakh (comprising Leh and Kargil Districts) in north to Kinnaur (Spiti valley and Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh) in South.
Protected Areas: It covers the Pin Valley National Park and its surroundings, Chandratal and Sarchu and the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary.
Biome: It constitutes a Cold Desert biome with harsh climatic conditions, attributed to two factors – location on leeward side of Himalayas (making it a rain-shadow zone) and very high elevation.
Soil: Thin, coarse-textured, sandy-loamy soils with low organic matter due to limited vegetation.
Hydrology: Meltwater from glaciers feeds rivers like Spiti and Pin rivers.
Flora: Common species include Caragana, Ephedra, Juniperus, Artemisia, and Seabuckthorn
- Seabuckthorn is particularly important for soil stabilization, carbon sequestration, and local livelihoods (used for juice, oil, and medicinal products).
Fauna: Snow Leopard (Flagship species), Himalayan Ibex, Tibetan Argali, Blue Sheep (Bharal), Red Fox, Eurasian Lynx, and Himalayan Wolf.
Culture: Distinct Buddhist culture dominates the region with presence of:
- Gompas (Buddhist monasteries), Chorten (remarkable type of stupas) and Mani Walls (long and thick platform like row of stones).
Human Settlements: Dominant communities include Bhotia, Changpa, and Spiti tribes, practicing pastoralism, barley and buckwheat cultivation, and yak and goat rearing.

About WNBR

Launched in 1976, WNBR is managed by the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO.
- Launched in 1971, MAB is an intergovernmental scientific programme aiming to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments.
Network promotes synergies between human societies and natural ecosystems, facilitating sustainable development.
How are Biosphere reserves (BRs) designated under MAB?
- Designated by: Director-General of UNESCO following the decisions of the MAB International Coordinating Council (MAB ICC).
- Methodology used: Seville Strategy for BRs and the Statutory Framework of the World Network of BRs
- Proposal: Sites can be proposed by all Member States and Associate Members of UNESCO
  - After designation Sites remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of states where they are located.
  - States can also remove a BR from the network by notifying the MAB Secretariat
- Periodic review: Each BR undergoes a periodic review every 10 years to assess its functioning and management effectiveness.
  - UNESCO can withdraw designation if a reserve fails to meet the required standards.