World Network of Biosphere Reserves in Asia and the Pacific
Encyclopedia
Under UNESCO
’s Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme, there are currently 113 biosphere reserves recognized as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves
in Asia and the Pacific. These are distributed across 22 countries in the region.
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Mongolia
Sri Lanka
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
’s Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme, there are currently 113 biosphere reserves recognized as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves
World Network of Biosphere Reserves
The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves covers internationally-designated protected areas, known as biosphere reserves, that are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between man and nature The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves covers internationally-designated protected...
in Asia and the Pacific. These are distributed across 22 countries in the region.
The list
Below is the list of biosphere reserves in Asia and the Pacific, organized by country/territory, along with the year these were designated as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- CroajingolongCroajingolong National ParkCroajingolong is a coastal national park in Victoria, Australia, 427 kilometres east of Melbourne.The name is thought to derive from the aboriginal word Krowathunkooloong, the name of the tribe inhabiting that area of Victoria.-Description:...
(1977) - RiverlandBookmark Biosphere ReserveThe Riverland Biosphere Reserve, formerly the Bookmark Biosphere Reserve, is a 9000 km2 area of land in eastern South Australia, adjoining the states of New South Wales and Victoria. It is one of 12 biosphere reserves in Australia and is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, being...
(1977) - KosciuszkoKosciuszko National ParkKosciuszko National Park covers 690,000 hectares and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra the highest town in Australia...
(1977) - Macquarie IslandMacquarie IslandMacquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between New Zealand and Antarctica, at 54°30S, 158°57E. Politically, it has formed part of the Australian state of Tasmania since 1900 and became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978. In 1997 it became a world heritage...
(1977) - Prince Regent RiverPrince Regent Nature ReservePrince Regent Nature Reserve is a protected area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In 1978 the area was nominated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.-Description:...
(1977) - Unnamed (1977)
- Uluru (Ayers Rock-Mount Olga)Uluru-Kata Tjuta National ParkUluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is UNESCO World Heritage-listed in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located 1431 kilometres south of Darwin by road and 440 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs along the Stuart and Lasseter Highways...
(1977) - Yathong (1977)
- Fitzgerald RiverFitzgerald River National ParkFitzgerald River National Park is a national park in Western Australia , southeast of Perth, in the Shire of Ravensthorpe and the Shire of Jerramungup....
(1978) - Hattah-KulkyneHattah-Kulkyne National ParkHattah-Kulkyne is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 417 km northwest of Melbourne. The nearest regional centre is Mildura. It is a popular destination for bushwalkers and school camping trips.-Description:...
& Murray-Kulkyne (1981) - Wilsons PromontoryWilsons Promontory National ParkWilsons Promontory National Park, commonly known as Wilsons Prom or The Prom, is a national park in the Gippsland region of Victoria , 157 km southeast of Melbourne....
(1981) - Mornington PeninsulaMornington Peninsula National ParkMornington Peninsula is a national park in Victoria , 77 km south of Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula. It is one of Victoria's most popular and most loved parks, protecting lots of the area's natural attractions and providing an important habitat for many forms of wildlife.-See also:*...
and Western Port (2002) - BarkindjiMurray-Darling BasinThe Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...
(2005) - Noosa (2007)
- Great Sandy (2009)
ChinaChina Biosphere Reserve NetworkChina Biosphere Reserve Network is a network established by the Chinese National Committee for UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1993. Membership in the CBRN serves as a prerequisite for joining the World Network of Biosphere Reserves...
- ChangbaishanChangbai MountainsThe Changbai Mountain Range or Jangbaek Mountain Range are a mountain range on the border between China and North Korea...
(1979) - DinghushanDinghu MountainDinghu Mountain is located in Dinghu District, 18km to the east of Zhaoqing City, in the Dayunwu Mountain Range, in Guangdong Province of southern China...
(1979) - WolongWolong National Nature ReserveWolong National Nature Reserve is a protected area located in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. Established in 1963, the reserve covers an area of about 200,000 hectares in the Qionglai Mountains region. There are over 4,000 different species recorded in the reserve....
(1979) - Fanjingshan (1986)
- Xilin Gol (1987)
- WuyishanWuyi MountainsThe Wuyi Mountains are a mountain range located in the prefecture of Nanping, in the northern border of Fujian province with Jiangxi province, China. The mountains cover an area of 60 km². In 1999, Mount Wuyi entered UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites, both natural and cultural...
(1987) - BogedaBogda ShanThe Bogda Shan range is part of the eastern Tien Shan mountains, and located in Xinjiang, some 60 km east of Ürümqi. The highest elevation is Bogda Feng, at 5445 m....
(1990) - ShennongjiaShennongjiaShennongjia Forestry District is a county-level administrative unit in Hubei province, directly subordinated to the provincial government...
(1990) - YanchengYancheng Coastal WetlandsThe Yancheng Coastal Wetlands refers to the wetlands in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, China.It is named after the Dongbei and Liao Rivers is connected to the Songnen Plain through the Yellow River Valley; a small plain lies north of Dongting Lake in the west....
(1992) - XishuangbannaXishuangbanna Dai Autonomous PrefectureXishuangbanna is an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan Province, China. The capital city is Jinghong, the largest settlement in the area and one that straddles the Mekong River, called the Lancang River in Chinese.-Name:...
(1993) - Maolan (1996)
- TianmushanTianmu MountainTianmu Mountain, also known as Tianmushan , is a mountain in Lin'an County in Northwestern Zhejiang province in eastern China. Tianmushan is located west of Hangzhou, China. It is made up of two peaks. The West Tianmu Peak, also called Xianren Peak and the East Tianmu Peak, also called Daxian Peak...
(1996) - Fenglin (1997)
- Jiuzhaigou Valley (1997)
- Nanji Islands (1998)
- Shankou Mangrove (2000)
- Baishuijiang (2000)
- Gaoligong Mountain (2000)
- Huanglong (2000)
- Baotianman (2001)
- Saihan Wula (2001)
- Dalai LakeLake HulunHulun Lake , is a lake in Inner Mongolia, China. It is one of the five largest freshwater lakes in all of China, covering approximately 2,339 km²....
(2002) - Wudalianchi (2003)
- YadingYadingYading is a national level reserve in Daocheng County, in the southwest of Sichuan Province, China. Unknown to the outside world until the late 1990s, it is a mountain sanctuary and major Tibetan pilgrimage site comprising three peaks sanctified by the 5th Dalai Lama...
(2003) - Foping (2004)
- Qomolangma (2004)
- Chebaling (2007)
- Xingkai Lake (2007)
IndiaBiosphere reserves of IndiaThe Indian government has established 17 Biosphere Reserves of India, , which protect larger areas of natural habitat , and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along buffer zones that are open to some economic uses...
- NilgiriNilgiri Biosphere ReserveThe Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats, Nilgiri Hills range of South India. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster , conjoining the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World...
(2000) - Gulf of Mannar (2001)
- SunderbanSundarbans National ParkThe Sundarbans National Park [Sundarban Tour Booking-9051115228] is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve located in the Sundarbans delta in the Indian state of West Bengal. This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger...
(2001) - Nanda Devi (2004)
- NokrekNokrek National ParkNokrek National Park, or Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, is a national park located Approximately 12 km from Tura Peak in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, India...
(2009) - PachmarhiPachmarhi Biosphere ReserveThe Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is a conservation area in the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh state, India. It was created on March 3, 1999 by the Indian Government, and covers parts of Hoshangabad, Betul, and Chhindwara districts....
(2009) - SimilipalSimlipal National ParkSimlipal National Park is a national park and an elephant reserve situated in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Orissa. Simlipal National Park derives its name from the abundance of Semul or red silk cotton trees that bloom vividly....
(2009)
IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
- CibodasMount GedeMount Gede or Gunung Gede is a stratovolcano in West Java, Indonesia. The volcano contains two peaks with Mount Gede as one peak and Mount Pangrango for the other one. Three major cities, Cianjur, Sukabumi and Bogor, are located in the volcano complex at the east, south and northwest, respectively...
, including Gunung Gede Pangrango National ParkGunung Gede Pangrango National ParkMount Gede Pangrango National Park is a national park in West Java, Indonesia. The park is centred on two volcanoes—Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango— and is 150 km² in area....
(1977) - KomodoKomodo National ParkThe Komodo National Park is a national park in Indonesia located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in the border region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Padar and Rincah, and 26 smaller ones, with a total area of...
(1977) - Lore LinduLore Lindu National ParkLore Lindu National Park is a forested protected area on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The area of the national park is 2,180 km² covering both lowland and montane forests. It provides habitat to numerous rare species, including 77 bird species...
(1977) - Tanjung PutingTanjung PutingTanjung Puting National Park is a national park in Indonesia located on the island of Borneo in the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan. The park is famous for its orangutan conservation.- Geography :...
(1977) - Gunung LeuserGunung Leuser National ParkGunung Leuser National Park is a national park covering 7,927 km² in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, straddling the border of North Sumatra and Aceh provinces. The national park, named after Mount Leuser , protects a wide range of ecosystems. An orangutan sanctuary of Bukit Lawang is located inside...
(1981) - SiberutSiberutSiberut is the largest and northernmost of the Mentawai Islands, lying 150 kilometres west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. A part of Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park in 1993...
(1981) - Giam Siak Kecil – Bukit Batu (2009)
Islamic Republic of Iran
- ArasbaranArasbaranArasbārān or Qaradağ , is a UNESCO registered biosphere in East Azarbaijan Province, Iran, with a varying altitude from 256m in the vicinity of Aras River to 2896m and covers an area of 78560 hectares. It include some historical places like Babak Khorramdin's Castle...
(1976) - Arjan (1976)
- Geno (1976)
- Golestan (1976)
- HaraHara forestsThe Hara forests is the common name for mangrove forests on the southern coast of Iran, particularly on and near the island of Qeshm in the Persian Gulf. Dominated by the species Avicennia marina, known locally as the "hara" or "harra" tree, the forests represent an important ecological resource...
(1976) - KavirKavir National ParkKavir National Park is a protected ecological zone in northern Iran. It has an area of 4,000 square kilometers . The park is located 120 kilometers south of Tehran and 100 kilometers east of Qom, and it sits on the western end of one of Iran's two major deserts, the Dasht-e Kavir...
(1976) - Lake OromeehLake UrmiaLake Urmia , ancient name: Lake Matiene) is a salt lake in northwestern Iran, near Iran's border with Turkey. The lake is between the Iranian provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shaped Caspian Sea...
(1976) - MiankalehMiankaleh peninsulaMiyānkāle peninsula is a narrow but long peninsula in Māzandarān Province in the north of Iran situated in the extreme south-eastern part of the Caspian Sea. The long and narrow peninsula is 48 km long, and between 1300 and 3200 meters wide....
(1976) - Touran (1976)
- Dena (2010)
JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- Mount HakuMount Haku, or Mount Hakusan, is a potentially active volcano. The stratovolcano is located on the borders of Gifu, Fukui and Ishikawa prefectures in Japan. It is thought to have first been active 300,000 to 400,000 years ago, with the most recent eruption occurring in 1659...
san (1980) - Mount OdaigaharaMount Odaigahara, also is a mountain in the Daikō Mountain Range and on the border between the prefectures of Mie and Nara, Japan. The mountain is the highest in Mie. In 1980 an area of 36,000 ha in the region of Mount Ōdaigahara and Mount Ōmine was designated a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve.- References :...
& Mount OmineMount Omine, is a sacred mountain in Nara, Japan, famous for its three tests of courage.Officially known as , it is more popularly known as Mount Ōmine due to its prominence in the Ōmine mountain range...
(1980) - Shiga Highland (1980)
- Yakushima IslandYakushima, one of the Ōsumi Islands, is an island of about 500 km² and roughly 15,000 islanders to the south of Kyūshū in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The Vincennes Strait separates it from Tanegashima. The highest point on the island is Miyanoura-dake at 1,935 metres...
(1980)
MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
- Great Gobi (1990)
- Bogd Khan UulBogd Khan UulThe Bogd Khan Mountain is a mountain in Mongolia that overlooks the nation's capital, Ulaanbaatar, from a height of 3000 feet above and to the south of the city.- World Heritage Status :...
(1996) - Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere ReserveUbsunur Hollow Biosphere ReserveUbsunur Hollow Biosphere Preserve is a fragile mountain hollow or depression located on the territorial border of Mongolia and the Republic of Tuva in the Russian Federation among the mountains — Tannu-Ola Mountains, and the Altay Mountains region — part of a combination of raised...
(1997) - Khustain Nuruu National ParkKhustain Nuruu National ParkKhustain Nuruu National Park , located in Tov Province , is a national park of Mongolia. It is also known as Hustai National Park. The Tuul River runs through the park....
(2002) - Dornod Mongol (2005)
- Mongol Daguur (2007)
People's Democratic Republic of Korea
- Mount Paekdu (1989)
- Mount Kuwol (2004)
- Mount MyohyangMyohyang-sanMyohyang-san is a mountain in North Korea . The mountain is named after the mystic shapes and fragrances found in the area....
(2009)
Republic of Korea
- Mount Sorak (1982)
- Jeju Island (2002)
- Shinan Dadohae (2009)
- Gwangneung Forest (2010)
Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
- HuruluHurulu Forest ReserveHurulu Forest Reserve of Sri Lanka was designated as a biosphere reserve in January 1977. The forest reserve is an important habitat of the Sri Lankan Elephant. Hurulu forest reserve represents Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forests. There are many other protected areas situated around Hurulu...
(1977) - SinharajaSinharaja Forest ReserveSinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO....
(1978) - Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya (KDN) (2004)
- BundalaBundala National ParkBundala National Park is an internationally important wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka. Bundala harbors 197 species of Birds, the highlight being the Greater Flamingo, which migrate in large flocks. Bundala was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1969 and redesignated to a...
(2005)
Viet nam
- Can Gio MangroveCan Gio Mangrove ForestCan Gio Biosphere Reserve is a wetland located 40 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. This reserve has been listed the biosphere reserve by UNESCO...
(2000) - Cat TienCat Tien National ParkCát Tiên National Park is an important national park located in the south of Vietnam, approximately 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. It has an area of about 720 km² and protects one of the largest areas of lowland tropical rainforests left in Vietnam.-History:Cát Tiên national park was...
(2001) - Cat BaCat Ba IslandCat Ba is the largest of the 366 islands spanning 260km2 that comprise the Cat Ba Archipelago, which makes up the southeastern edge of Ha Long Bay in Northern Vietnam. Cat Ba island has a surface area of 285 km2 and maintains the dramatic and rugged features of Ha Long Bay...
(2004) - Red River DeltaRed River DeltaThe Red River Delta is the flat plain formed by the Red River and its distributaries joining in the Thai Binh River in northern Vietnam. The delta measuring some 15,000 square km is well protected by a network of dikes. It is an agriculturally rich area and densely populated...
(2004) - Kien GiangMekong DeltaThe Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
(2006) - Western Nghe AnWestern Nghe AnWestern Nghe An is a proposed biosphere reserve located in the tropical and temperate zone of Vietnam.-Description:The Western Nghe An proposed biosphere reserve in in an area profoundly influenced by a North-East and South-West monsoon. Because topography of Annamite range influences circulation...
(2007) - Mui Ca MauCape Ca Mau National ParkCape Cà Mau National Park is a national park in southern Vietnam. It is located in Đất Mũi Commune, Ngọc Hiển District, in Ca Mau, the southernmost of Vietnam's provinces....
(2009) - Cu Lao ChamCham islandsThe Cham Islands constitute a group of 8 small islands of Quảng Nam, which form a part of the Cu Lao Cham Marine Park, a world Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO, in South China Sea in Vietnam. The islands are approachable from Cửa Đại beach...
– Hoi AnHoi AnHội An , or rarely Faifo, is a city of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in Quang Nam province and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants...
(2009)