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English · हिन्दी · తెలుగు · தமிழ் · മലയാളം · मराठी · ಕನ್ನಡ

Biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites and World Heritage

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿವರಣೆ

Protected areas and wildlife conservation · Part 3 / 3 · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme and the core, buffer and transition zones; India's 18 biosphere reserves and the 13 in the World Network; the Ramsar Convention, India's Ramsar sites and the Montreux Record; natural and mixed World Heritage sites; protected areas by what they are known for; the size of the network and the 30 by 30 goal.

Each idea is explained first in Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Kannada and revise it in English.

ಇಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಾನೂನು, ಯೋಜನೆಗಳನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದೆವು. ಈಗ ಜಗತ್ತು ಕೊಡುವ ಮೂರು ಬಿರುದುಗಳು: ಜೀವಗೋಳ ಮೀಸಲು ಪ್ರದೇಶ, ರಾಮ್‌ಸರ್ ತಾಣ, ವಿಶ್ವ ಪರಂಪರೆ ತಾಣ. ಇವು ಪದಕಗಳಂತೆ: ಪದಕ ಆಟಗಾರನನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸುತ್ತದೆ, ಆದರೆ ಸಂಬಳ ಕೊಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ರಕ್ಷಣೆಯನ್ನು ನಮ್ಮ ಕಾನೂನೇ ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ, ಬಿರುದು ಮಾನ್ಯತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಹೊಣೆ ತರುತ್ತದೆ. ಒಂದೇ ಜಾಗಕ್ಕೆ ಹಲವು ಬಿರುದು ಇರಬಹುದು. (→ English: biosphere reserve; Ramsar site; World Heritage site · हिन्दी: जीवमंडल आरक्षित क्षेत्र; रामसर स्थल; विश्व धरोहर स्थल)

In exam EnglishThe first two parts dealt with Indian law and Indian programmes: the categories of the Wild Life (Protection) Act and the schemes built for tigers, elephants and other species. This last part looks at three labels that link Indian places to international systems. A biosphere reserve comes from UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, a Ramsar site from the 1971 treaty on wetlands, and a World Heritage site from the World Heritage Convention of 1972. None of these labels is a category under the 1972 Act, and none by itself gives legal protection; the ground underneath is protected by Indian law, usually as a national park, sanctuary or reserved forest. What the labels add is recognition, scientific attention and a duty to report to an international body. One place can carry several labels at once, which is a favourite source of Prelims statements.

ಜೀವಗೋಳ ಮೀಸಲು ಪ್ರದೇಶ ವನ್ನು ಮೂರು ವೃತ್ತಗಳಂತೆ ಊಹಿಸಿ, ಕೆರೆಗೆ ಕಲ್ಲು ಎಸೆದಾಗ ಏಳುವ ಅಲೆಗಳಂತೆ. ನಡುವೆ ಕೋರ್, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಮುಟ್ಟುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಸುತ್ತ ಬಫರ್, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಶೋಧನೆ, ಶಾಲಾ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಪ್ರವಾಸ. ಹೊರಗೆ ಪರಿವರ್ತನಾ ವಲಯ, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಊರು, ಹೊಲ, ಜನ ಕಾಡನ್ನು ಮಿತವಾಗಿ ಬಳಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕ ಕಾನೂನಿಲ್ಲ; ನಡುವಿನ ಭಾಗವನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ವನ್ಯಜೀವಿ ಕಾಯ್ದೆ ಕಾಪಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. (→ English: biosphere reserve; core, buffer and transition zones · हिन्दी: जीवमंडल आरक्षित क्षेत्र; कोर, बफ़र और संक्रमण क्षेत्र)

In exam EnglishUNESCO started the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 1971 to test a simple proposition: that conservation and human development can be planned together on the same landscape rather than in separate places. A biosphere reserve puts this into practice through three zones arranged like rings. The core zone is strictly protected, with minimal disturbance, and in India it is normally an existing national park or sanctuary. The buffer zone around it allows research, education, training and other uses that do not harm the core. The outer transition zone is where people live and farm, and where communities, officials and scientists work together on sustainable use of resources. Unlike a national park, a biosphere reserve has no boundary fence and no separate law; the core is protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, while the outer rings depend on planning and cooperation.

ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶ 1986ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಂತ ಯೋಜನೆ ಆರಂಭಿಸಿತು, ಮೊದಲನೆಯದು ನೀಲಗಿರಿ. ಈಗ ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ 18 ಜೀವಗೋಳ ಮೀಸಲು ಪ್ರದೇಶ ಗಳಿವೆ. ಆದರೆ ಅವುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ 13 ಮಾತ್ರ ಯುನೆಸ್ಕೋ ವಿಶ್ವ ಜಾಲದಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಇದು ಹೀಗೆ: ನಮ್ಮ ಶಾಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ 18 ಜಾಣ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು, ಅವರಲ್ಲಿ 13 ಮಂದಿಯನ್ನು ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧೆಗೆ ಕಳುಹಿಸಿ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಿದರು. ಮೊದಲು ನಾವೇ ಘೋಷಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ, ನಂತರ ಹೆಸರು ಕಳುಹಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಜಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದ ಮೊದಲನೆಯದು ನೀಲಗಿರಿ (2000), ಇತ್ತೀಚಿನದು ಶೀತ ಮರುಭೂಮಿ (2025). (→ English: biosphere reserve; World Network of Biosphere Reserves · हिन्दी: जीवमंडल आरक्षित क्षेत्र; जीवमंडल आरक्षित क्षेत्रों का विश्व नेटवर्क)

In exam EnglishIndia set up its own biosphere reserve scheme under the environment ministry in 1986, and Nilgiri, spread over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, became the first. The country now has 18 biosphere reserves, from the Cold Desert of Himachal Pradesh and Khangchendzonga in Sikkim to the Gulf of Mannar and Great Nicobar in the south; Kachchh in Gujarat, covering the Great Rann, is the largest. Being designated by India is a separate step from being accepted into UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Thirteen of India's 18 are in the World Network: Nilgiri was admitted first, in 2000, and the Cold Desert most recently, in September 2025. Five, including Manas, Dibru-Saikhowa and Kachchh, are national designations only. A common trap is to assume that every Indian biosphere reserve is a UNESCO site, or that UNESCO creates them; in fact India designates them and then may nominate them.
India's biosphere reserves in UNESCO's World Network (year admitted)
Biosphere reserveState or UTYear
NilgiriTamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka2000
Gulf of MannarTamil Nadu2001
SundarbanWest Bengal2001
Nanda DeviUttarakhand2004
NokrekMeghalaya2009
PachmarhiMadhya Pradesh2009
SimilipalOdisha2009
Achanakmar-AmarkantakMadhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh2012
Great NicobarAndaman and Nicobar Islands2013
AgasthyamalaKerala, Tamil Nadu2016
KhangchendzongaSikkim2018
PannaMadhya Pradesh2020
Cold DesertHimachal Pradesh2025

ಜೌಗು ಪ್ರದೇಶ ಎಂದರೆ ವರ್ಷವಿಡೀ ಅಥವಾ ಕೆಲಕಾಲ ನೀರು ನಿಲ್ಲುವ ನೆಲ: ಕೆರೆಗಳು, ಕಾಂಡ್ಲಾ ಕಾಡು, ಪ್ರವಾಹ ಬಯಲು. ಇದು ಊರಿಗೆ ಸ್ಪಂಜಿನಂತೆ: ಪ್ರವಾಹದ ನೀರು ಹೀರುತ್ತದೆ, ಬಾವಿಗಳಿಗೆ ನೀರು ತುಂಬುತ್ತದೆ, ಕೊಳೆ ಸೋಸುತ್ತದೆ. 1971ರಲ್ಲಿ ಇರಾನಿನ ರಾಮ್‌ಸರ್ ಪಟ್ಟಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಪ್ಪಂದವಾಯಿತು. ಅದರ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಮಾತು: ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಮುಚ್ಚುವುದಲ್ಲ, ಜಾಣ್ಮೆಯಿಂದ ಬಳಸುವುದು. 20,000ಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಜಲಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳು ಬರುವ ಜಾಗದಂತಹವು ರಾಮ್‌ಸರ್ ತಾಣ ಆಗುತ್ತವೆ. ನಾವು 1982ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರಿದೆವು; ಮೊದಲವು ಚಿಲ್ಕಾ, ಕೇವಲಾದೇವ್. (→ English: wetland; Ramsar site; wise use · हिन्दी: आर्द्रभूमि; रामसर स्थल; विवेकपूर्ण उपयोग)

In exam EnglishA wetland is land that is covered with water, permanently or for part of the year: marshes, lakes, floodplains, mangroves and coral reefs all count. Wetlands store floodwater, recharge groundwater, filter pollution and feed millions of migratory birds and fishers, yet they are among the ecosystems lost fastest to drainage and building. The Convention on Wetlands was signed on 2 February 1971 at Ramsar, a town in Iran, which is why it is called the Ramsar Convention and why 2 February is World Wetlands Day. It is an intergovernmental treaty that stands outside the United Nations system, and its central idea is the wise use of all wetlands, not only their strict protection. Each party must name at least one wetland of international importance, judged on criteria such as rare wetland types or a site regularly holding 20,000 or more waterbirds. India joined in 1982, and its first two sites, Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo in Rajasthan, were listed in 1981.

ಹಲವು ವರ್ಷ ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವೇ ರಾಮ್‌ಸರ್ ತಾಣ ಗಳಿದ್ದವು; 2019ರ ನಂತರ ವೇಗ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿತು. 2022 ಆಗಸ್ಟ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ 75, 2026 ಅಕ್ಟೋಬರ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಖ್ನಾ, ಸೌಜ್ ಝೀಲ್ ಸೇರಿ 103. ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನವು ತಮಿಳುನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ; ಅತಿ ದೊಡ್ಡದು ಸುಂದರಬನ. ದೇಶದೊಳಗೆ 2017ರ ನಿಯಮಗಳು ಜೌಗು ಪ್ರದೇಶ ವನ್ನು ಮುಚ್ಚುವುದನ್ನು, ಕಸ ಸುರಿಯುವುದನ್ನು ತಡೆಯುತ್ತವೆ. ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚುತ್ತಲೇ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ, ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಯಾವ ದಿನಾಂಕದ ಲೆಕ್ಕ ಎಂದು ನೋಡಬೇಕು, ಮಗುವಿನ ಎತ್ತರ ಹೇಳುವಾಗ ವಯಸ್ಸೂ ಹೇಳಿದಂತೆ. (→ English: Ramsar site; wetland · हिन्दी: रामसर स्थल; आर्द्रभूमि)

In exam EnglishFor decades India listed few sites, but the pace changed sharply after 2019. The count reached 75 in August 2022, the 75th year of independence, and rose to 103 in October 2026, when the Sukhna wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh were added (environment ministry and Ramsar Convention list, 2026). Tamil Nadu has more Ramsar sites than any other state, and the Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal, listed in 2019, is the largest by area. Inside India, wetlands are governed by the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, made under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which have state wetland authorities identify and notify wetlands and list the activities banned in them, such as reclaiming land or dumping waste. The National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems funds the restoration of lakes and wetlands. Because the number keeps growing, any count asked in an exam should be read with the date it refers to.

ಮಾಂಟ್ರೋ ದಾಖಲೆ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯ ತೀವ್ರ ನಿಗಾ ಘಟಕದ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯಂತೆ: ಯಾವ ರಾಮ್‌ಸರ್ ತಾಣ ಕಾಯಿಲೆ ಬಿದ್ದಿದೆಯೋ, ಅಂದರೆ ಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ, ನೀರಿನ ಹರಿವು ಬದಲಾವಣೆಯಿಂದ ಹಾಳಾಗಿದೆಯೋ, ಅದರ ಹೆಸರು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ; ದೇಶವೇ ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ ಸೇರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ, ಗುಣವಾದ ಮೇಲೆ ತೆಗೆಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಈಗ ನಮ್ಮ ಎರಡು: ಕೇವಲಾದೇವ್ (1990), ಲೋಕ್‌ಟಕ್ (1993). ಲೋಕ್‌ಟಕ್ ಮೇಲೆ ತೇಲುವ ಹಸಿರು ದಿಬ್ಬಗಳು, ಅವುಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಕೇಬುಲ್ ಲಾಮ್ಜಾವೋ ತೇಲುವ ಉದ್ಯಾನ, ಸಂಗಾಯ್ ಜಿಂಕೆ. ಚಿಲ್ಕಾ 1993ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರಿ 2002ರಲ್ಲಿ ಗುಣವಾಗಿ ಹೊರಬಂತು. (→ English: Montreux Record; Ramsar site · हिन्दी: मॉन्ट्रो रिकॉर्ड; रामसर स्थल)

In exam EnglishListing a wetland is not the end of the story. The Montreux Record, adopted at the Ramsar conference held at Montreux in Switzerland in 1990, is a register of Ramsar sites where the ecological character has changed, is changing or is likely to change because of human activity, such as pollution, drainage or altered water flow. A country places a site on it voluntarily, to signal that the site needs priority attention, and removes it once the problem is fixed. Two Indian sites are on the Record today: Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, added in 1990, and Loktak Lake in Manipur, added in 1993. Loktak is famous for its floating mats of vegetation called phumdis, on which Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park in the world, shelters the sangai deer. Chilika Lake was placed on the Record in 1993 and removed in 2002, after a new mouth to the sea restored its salinity and fisheries.

ವಿಶ್ವ ಪರಂಪರೆ ತಾಣ ಎಂದರೆ ಇಡೀ ಮನುಕುಲಕ್ಕೆ ಅಮೂಲ್ಯ ಎಂದು ಯುನೆಸ್ಕೋ ಗುರುತಿಸಿದ ಜಾಗ, ಊರಿನ ಆಸ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲ, ವಿಶ್ವ ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಆಸ್ತಿ ಎಂಬಂತೆ. ನಮ್ಮ 45ರಲ್ಲಿ ಏಳು ನೈಸರ್ಗಿಕ, ಒಂದು ಮಿಶ್ರ: ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಂನ ಕಾಂಚನಜುಂಗಾ, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಎರಡೂ. ನೈಸರ್ಗಿಕ ಏಳು: ಕಾಜಿರಂಗಾ, ಕೇವಲಾದೇವ್, ಮಾನಸ್, ಸುಂದರಬನ, ನಂದಾದೇವಿ-ಹೂವಿನ ಕಣಿವೆ, ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘಟ್ಟ, ಗ್ರೇಟ್ ಹಿಮಾಲಯನ್ ಉದ್ಯಾನ. ಮಾನಸ್ ಕೆಲಕಾಲ 'ಅಪಾಯದಲ್ಲಿ' ಪಟ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿತ್ತು. (→ English: World Heritage site; outstanding universal value · हिन्दी: विश्व धरोहर स्थल; असाधारण सार्वभौमिक मूल्य)

In exam EnglishThe third label comes from UNESCO's Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted in 1972, which India ratified in 1977. A property is inscribed on the World Heritage List if it has outstanding universal value, judged against ten criteria, of which four concern nature: superlative natural beauty, major stages of the Earth's history, ongoing ecological processes, and the most important habitats for biodiversity. Of India's 45 World Heritage properties (the 45th, Sarnath, was inscribed in 2026), seven are natural and one, Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim, is mixed, recognised for both nature and culture. The natural seven are Kaziranga, Keoladeo and Manas, all inscribed in 1985; the Sundarbans National Park (1987); the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, extended in 2005); the Western Ghats (2012); and the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014). Manas spent 1992 to 2011 on the List of World Heritage in Danger after damage during unrest in the area.

ಪ್ರತಿ ಉದ್ಯಾನವನ್ನು ಅದರ 'ವಿಶೇಷ ಅತಿಥಿ'ಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ನೆನಪಿಡಿ, ಪ್ರತಿ ಊರಿಗೂ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ತಿನಿಸು ಇರುವಂತೆ. ಕಾಜಿರಂಗಾ ಘೇಂಡಾಮೃಗ, ಗಿರ್ ಸಿಂಹ, ಕೇಬುಲ್ ಲಾಮ್ಜಾವೋ ಸಂಗಾಯ್ ಜಿಂಕೆ, ದಾಚಿಗಾಮ್ ಹಂಗುಲ್, ಹೆಮಿಸ್ ಹಿಮ ಚಿರತೆ, ನಾಮ್‌ದಫಾ ನಾಲ್ಕು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಬೆಕ್ಕುಗಳು. ಸೈಲೆಂಟ್ ವ್ಯಾಲಿ ಸಿಂಗಳೀಕ, ಭಿತರ್‌ಕನಿಕಾ ಉಪ್ಪುನೀರಿನ ಮೊಸಳೆ, ಗಹಿರ್‌ಮಾಥಾ ಆಲಿವ್ ರಿಡ್ಲಿ ಆಮೆಗಳು, ಮರುಭೂಮಿ ಉದ್ಯಾನ ಬಸ್ಟರ್ಡ್. (→ English: national park; protected area · हिन्दी: राष्ट्रीय उद्यान; संरक्षित क्षेत्र)

In exam EnglishPrelims often asks which protected area is known for what. The pattern is easier to remember when each place is tied to the reason it matters. Kaziranga in Assam holds most of the world's greater one-horned rhinos, and Gir in Gujarat is the last wild home of the Asiatic lion. Keibul Lamjao in Manipur floats on Loktak Lake and keeps the sangai, while Dachigam near Srinagar shelters the hangul, Kashmir's red deer. Hemis in Ladakh, India's largest national park, is snow leopard country, and Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh is known for having four big cats: tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard. Silent Valley in Kerala protects an evergreen forest that holds the lion-tailed macaque and was saved from a dam in the 1980s. On the coast of Odisha, Bhitarkanika guards mangroves and saltwater crocodiles, and Gahirmatha is a mass nesting beach of the olive ridley turtle. The Desert National Park in Rajasthan is the main refuge of the great Indian bustard.
Protected areas and what they are known for
Protected areaState or UTKnown for
KazirangaAssamGreater one-horned rhinoceros
GirGujaratAsiatic lion
Keibul LamjaoManipurFloating park on Loktak; sangai
DachigamJammu and KashmirHangul
HemisLadakhSnow leopard; largest national park
NamdaphaArunachal PradeshFour big cats
Silent ValleyKeralaLion-tailed macaque; evergreen forest
BhitarkanikaOdishaSaltwater crocodile; mangroves
GahirmathaOdishaOlive ridley mass nesting
Desert National ParkRajasthanGreat Indian bustard

ಒಟ್ಟು ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ದೊಡ್ಡದು? 2024ರ ವೇಳೆಗೆ ಸಾವಿರಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಸಂರಕ್ಷಿತ ಪ್ರದೇಶ ಗಳು, ದೇಶದ ಭೂಪ್ರದೇಶದ ಐದು ಪ್ರತಿಶತಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹೆಚ್ಚು. ಜಾಗತಿಕ ಗುರಿ 2030ರೊಳಗೆ 30 ಪ್ರತಿಶತ ನೆಲ, 30 ಪ್ರತಿಶತ ಸಮುದ್ರ. ಆ ಅಂತರವನ್ನು ದೇವರ ಕಾಡು, ಊರಿನ ಕಾಡುಗಳಂತಹವು ತುಂಬಬೇಕು. ಊರ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಸುತ್ತಲಿನ ತೋಪನ್ನು ಯಾರೂ ಕಡಿಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಅಂತಹ ಜನರ ಕಾವಲೂ ಲೆಕ್ಕಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ. ಕಾಡಿನ ಬಳಿ ಬದುಕುವ ಜನ ಅಪಾಯವಲ್ಲ, ಕಾವಲುಗಾರರು. (→ English: protected area network; other effective area-based conservation measures · हिन्दी: संरक्षित क्षेत्र नेटवर्क; अन्य प्रभावी क्षेत्र-आधारित संरक्षण उपाय)

In exam EnglishHow large is the whole system? By 2024 India's network of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and community reserves had passed a thousand units and covered a little over five per cent of the country's geographical area (Wildlife Institute of India, ENVIS database, 2024). Sanctuaries are by far the most numerous category, while national parks are fewer but more strictly protected. Five per cent is modest when set against the global goal agreed in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of December 2022, which asks countries to conserve 30 per cent of land and of sea by 2030. Much of the gap is meant to be filled by places that are conserved without being formal protected areas, such as sacred groves, community forests and village-managed lands, which the framework calls other effective area-based conservation measures. Community reserves under the Act, and long traditions of community care for forests and wildlife, show that people living near wildlife can be guardians rather than threats.

ಇಡೀ ಅಧ್ಯಾಯ ಒಂದೇ ನೆಲದ ಮೇಲಿನ ಪದರಗಳಂತೆ, ಗೋಡೆಯ ಬಣ್ಣದ ಪದರಗಳಂತೆ. ಕೆಳಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಾನೂನು, ಅದರ ಮೇಲೆ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳು, ಮೇಲೆ ಜಾಗತಿಕ ಮಾನ್ಯತೆಗಳು. ಸುಂದರಬನ ಎಂದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ಪದರಗಳು: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಉದ್ಯಾನ, ಹುಲಿ ಮೀಸಲು ಪ್ರದೇಶ, ಜೀವಗೋಳ ಮೀಸಲು ಪ್ರದೇಶ, ರಾಮ್‌ಸರ್ ತಾಣ, ವಿಶ್ವ ಪರಂಪರೆ ತಾಣ. ಕೇವಲಾದೇವ್ ಮಾಂಟ್ರೋ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ರಾಮ್‌ಸರ್ ಜಾಗ ಮತ್ತು ಪರಂಪರೆ ತಾಣವೂ ಹೌದು. ಯಾವ ಪದರ ಯಾವ ರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ, ಯಾರು ಕೊಡುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎಂಬುದೇ ನಿಜವಾದ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ. (→ English: protected area; biosphere reserve; Ramsar site; World Heritage site · हिन्दी: संरक्षित क्षेत्र; जीवमंडल आरक्षित क्षेत्र; रामसर स्थल; विश्व धरोहर स्थल)

In exam EnglishThe whole chapter can now be seen as layers on the same ground. Indian law supplies the base: the four categories of protected area and, above them, tiger reserves with an inviolate core. National schemes add biosphere reserves and elephant reserves, which plan across larger landscapes. International systems add the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, the Ramsar list and the World Heritage List, which bring recognition and reporting but no new law. A single place can sit in many layers. The Sundarbans in West Bengal is at once a national park, a tiger reserve, a biosphere reserve in the World Network, a Ramsar site and a natural World Heritage site. Keoladeo in Rajasthan is a national park, a Ramsar site on the Montreux Record and a World Heritage site. Nanda Devi is a national park, a biosphere reserve and a World Heritage site. Asking which layer gives which protection, and who grants it, is the surest way through statement questions on this chapter.

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. Consider the following statements about biosphere reserves in India:
1. All of India's biosphere reserves are part of UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
2. Nilgiri was the first biosphere reserve designated in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: B. 2 only

Statement 1 is wrong: only 13 of India's 18 biosphere reserves are in the World Network, so options 1 and 3 fail. Statement 2 is correct (1986), so option 4 fails.

Q2. In a biosphere reserve, human settlements and sustainable economic activities are mainly located in which zone?

  1. Core zone
  2. Buffer zone
  3. Transition zone
  4. Critical habitat zone
Show answer

Answer: C. Transition zone

Settlements and sustainable use belong to the outer transition zone. The core is strictly protected, the buffer is for research, education and other compatible uses, and 'critical habitat' is a term from tiger reserves, not a zone of a biosphere reserve.

Q3. Consider the following statements about the Ramsar Convention:
1. It was signed in 1971 at Ramsar in Iran.
2. It is a specialised agency of the United Nations.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct, so options 2 and 4 fail. Statement 2 is wrong: the Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty outside the UN system, not a UN agency, so options 2 and 3 fail.

Q4. Which of the following Indian Ramsar sites are currently on the Montreux Record?
1. Keoladeo National Park
2. Loktak Lake
3. Chilika Lake
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 and 2 only

Keoladeo (1990) and Loktak (1993) are on the Record. Chilika was added in 1993 but removed in 2002, so every option that includes 3 (options 2, 3 and 4) is wrong.

Q5. Which one of the following is the only mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage site in India?

  1. Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area
  2. Khangchendzonga National Park
  3. Western Ghats
  4. Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
Show answer

Answer: B. Khangchendzonga National Park

Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim (2016) is India's only mixed site. The Great Himalayan National Park, the Western Ghats and Nanda Devi with the Valley of Flowers are all natural sites.

Q6. Match List I (protected area) with List II (known for):
List I: A. Dachigam B. Keibul Lamjao C. Gahirmatha D. Hemis
List II: 1. Sangai 2. Olive ridley nesting 3. Hangul 4. Snow leopard
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
  2. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
  3. A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
  4. A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
Show answer

Answer: A. A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4

Dachigam shelters the hangul, Keibul Lamjao the sangai, Gahirmatha is an olive ridley nesting beach and Hemis is snow leopard country. Option 2 swaps Dachigam and Keibul Lamjao, option 3 swaps Gahirmatha and Hemis, and option 4 swaps Dachigam and Hemis.

Q7. Consider the following statements:
1. India's wetlands are regulated by the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, made under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
2. Among the states, Tamil Nadu has the largest number of Ramsar sites.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Both statements are correct, so options 1, 2 and 4 are wrong: the 2017 Rules were made under the Environment (Protection) Act, and Tamil Nadu leads the states in Ramsar sites.

Q8. Which one of the following is at once a national park, a tiger reserve, a biosphere reserve in UNESCO's World Network, a Ramsar site and a natural World Heritage site?

  1. Keoladeo
  2. Kaziranga
  3. Sundarbans
  4. Nanda Devi
Show answer

Answer: C. Sundarbans

The Sundarbans in West Bengal carries all five labels. Keoladeo is not a tiger reserve or a biosphere reserve, Kaziranga is not a biosphere reserve, and Nanda Devi is not a Ramsar site.

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