Nurture natural biospheres for sustainable ecosystem

The additional distinction of two of these Reserves being the first in the country for terrestrial and marine ecosystems is truly remarkable. As custodians of the commendable natural heritage, it is important that we understand what the designation of a Biosphere Reserve entails. 

It was in the seventies that the UNESCO launched the Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB). The goal of the UNESCO-MAB Programme was to integrate conservation and development, primarily to address the strong opposition that was emerging to the declaration of large tracts of lands being designated as protected areas. It therefore deviates from the early concepts of exclusive ‘inviolate’ conservation zones which were modelled on the lines of the Yellowstone National Park, USA. The MAB approach is inclusive in that human cultures and livelihoods are seen as integral parts of biodiversity conservation. 

This approach was articulated by the UNESCO-MAB Programme as the Biosphere Reserves Concept. In adopting the Concept, nations that have a wealth of biodiversity are obliged to designate vast geographical areas that are representative of their biological diversity. The designated Biosphere Reserves are to be designed and managed such that there are core (inviolate and pristine) zones, buffer (research and sustainable use) zones and manipulation or transitional (agriculture, human settlement and sustainable development) zones that are complementary to each other. After the Government of India formally adopted the Concept, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) was the first to be established in the year 1986. In the year 2000, NBR also became the first Biosphere Reserve to be included in the UNESCO’s global network of Biosphere Reserves. 

NBR is the most significant chunk of land (and water) that represents the biological diversity of the Western Ghats. The Reserve covers 3 southern states, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and an area of 5,520 sq km (2, 020 sq km core, 2,290 sq km buffer/forestry and 1,330 sq km manipulation/agriculture zones). Research in the region has confirmed that 20% of all species of flowering plants, 15% of butterfly species and 23% of vertebrate animal species (excluding marine) that are found in India occur in NBR. Additionally, 55 % of the vertebrates that are endemic (in simpler words, unique to the landscape) to the Western Ghats are also found in NBR and this encompasses 39 species of fish, 31 species of amphibians, 60 species of reptiles, 14 species of birds and 12 species of mammals. Between 25 and 30 species including fish, amphibians and reptiles and 82 species of flowering plants that are found in NBR are not known to exist anywhere else in the world. As this list of endemic species continues to increases in number, it is critical that we commit ourselves to protect and nurture this heritage for future generations.