Spiti Cold Desert Named India’s 13th UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, First High-Altitude Desert to Join World Network
SDG 13: Climate Action | SDG 15: Life on Land
Institutions: Government of Himachal Pradesh | Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change
At the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves (WCBR) in Hangzhou, China, UNESCO designated the Cold Desert (Spiti region, Himachal Pradesh) as India’s 13th biosphere reserve, making it the country’s first high-altitude cold desert to enter the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
Covering approximately 7,770 km² between altitudes of 3,300 and 6,600 m, it includes the Spiti Wildlife Division, adjoining parts of the Lahaul Forest Division, and protected areas like Pin Valley NP, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandratal Wetland, and the Sarchu plains.
The reserve is organised into three zones:
Core: ~2,665 km²
Buffer: ~3,977 km²
Transition: ~1,128 km²
It houses 655 herbs, 41 shrubs, and 17 tree species, including 14 endemic and 47 medicinal plants significant in local healing systems. Its fauna includes 17 mammal species and 119 bird species, with the snow leopard as a flagship species - supported by over 800 blue sheep and species such as Himalayan ibex, Himalayan wolf, Tibetan wolf, and Himalayan snowcock.
Local communities (~12,000 people) continue traditional pastoralism, barley & pea farming, goat and yak herding, and maintain Tibetan herbal medicine traditions tied to Buddhist monastic practices.
This listing is not just symbolic - it anchors the Spiti cold desert into global conservation and research networks, opens doors for international collaborations, and can help scale eco-tourism, climate adaptation, and community-led conservation models in fragile Himalayan ecosystems.
What is a Biosphere Reserve? → A UNESCO-designated zone that combines core conservation, buffer zones for limited use, and transition zones for sustainable development, aiming to integrate biodiversity protection with community livelihoods.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can Himachal ensure that this UNESCO recognition translates into enhanced institutional capacity, funding, and local safeguards, especially in balancing tourism growth, climate stress, and indigenous rights in the Spiti cold desert?
Follow the full news here:
UNESCO announcement: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/5th-wcbr-designates-cold-desert-indias-13th-unesco-biosphere-reserve?hub=701
State press note (Himachal): http://himachalpr.gov.in/OnePressRelease.aspx?Language=1&ID=42459