A Short Note on Biosphere Reserve

Biosphere reserves are protected lands created for the preservation of flora and animals. The ancient way of life of the local tribes is also restored. These reserves protect an area’s rich biodiversity.

The Indian government has created 18 biosphere reserves to conserve significant swaths of natural environments. Certain economic activities are permitted between the protected core and the buffer zones in the regions. The people who live in these places, as well as the wildlife, are safeguarded.

The Man and Biosphere Reserve Program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, has designated biosphere reserves to promote sustainable development. 

This programme recognises these areas:

• The world’s most typical land and sea ecosystems

• A way of living and working in harmony with nature

• A sustainable equilibrium has been achieved between preserving natural ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity

Zones of a Biosphere Reserve

Biosphere reserves are generally divided into three interconnected zones: the core region, the buffer zone, and a transition zone or ‘area of collaboration’ to carry out the complementary tasks of biodiversity protection and sustainable use of natural resources.

Zones may be utilised to meet specific local requirements and situations. A biosphere reserve’s ownership structures differ as well. The main regions of biosphere reserves are frequently public properties, such as national parks, wilderness areas, or wildlife refuges previously declared. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or private individuals may control the core area.

1. Core Zone: As a reference point for the status of the ecosystems represented by the biosphere reserves, protected areas are included in the core area. Data from these key places makes it possible to determine if nearby activities can be sustained or whether environmental quality can be maintained. Managers of the biosphere reserve’s core regions can contribute resources to programmes that include local inhabitants, companies, and other partners.

2. Buffer Zone: The main region is surrounded by a buffer zone. Activities are planned so that they aid rather than impede conservation efforts in the core region. Natural vegetation, agricultural land, woods, fisheries, and ranchland may all be included in the buffer zone as a place for study or as a means to improve product quality while also preserving biodiversity and natural processes. Aside from entertainment and tourism-related businesses, this area might also house educational institutions. In many biosphere reserves, the buffer zone is considered a region where human usage is less intense than in the transition zone.

3. Transition Zone: The broad outside region of a biosphere reserve where people live and work while utilising the area’s natural resources sustainably is known as a ‘transition area’ or ‘area of collaboration’. To fulfil the goals of the biosphere reserve, it is essential to work together as a team. In this forum, local governments, environmental organisations, academics, non-profits, and other interested parties agree on how to best manage and use this region to benefit people.

Biosphere Reserve in India

For regions bigger than a conventional national park or wildlife sanctuary, the Indian government has created 18 biosphere reserves. These reserves frequently comprise several national parks or reserves and buffer zones accessible for certain economic purposes like agriculture. Nature and culture are protected, but so is the human population that lives in these areas and their traditions.

Given below is a table of the biosphere reserves in India along with the states they are found in. 

• Ecological, economic, and social sustainability in an area may be maintained by promoting the prudent use of natural and human resources in the biosphere reserves established there

• Biological diversity and land-use problems may be resolved using these methods

• National and international networks allow a biosphere reserve to receive knowledge, experience, assistance, and financing

• Biosphere reserves help rejuvenate rural communities by promoting a variety of local businesses

• The biosphere idea may serve as a framework for programmes that improve people’s lives

• Biosphere reserves magnetise government and academic study into local concerns and difficulties

• Biosphere reserves are educational laboratories where conservation and sustainable development strategies may be tested and refined for use in other parts of the world

• Biosphere reserves assist locals and tourists develop a feeling of place by highlighting the uniqueness of the location

• The designation of a biosphere reserve may help increase awareness of environmental and development concerns among local people, residents, and government officials

• Stakeholders and volunteers may work together in a biosphere reserve

Conclusion

In this article, we talked about biosphere reserves in India and the various zones they are divided into. It can be safely deduced that conservation and sustainable usage may be reconciled via biosphere reserves. More than 250 million people’s lives are being impacted as they learn about sustainable development in various ecological, social, and economic circumstances.

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves now includes 727 biosphere reserves in 131 nations, including 22 transboundary sites.