Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve:
- Khangchendzonga is alternatively spelled as Kanchenjunga.
- The Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP) is the core zone of Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR).
- Location:
- The KNP/KBR complex is situated in North and West Sikkim districts of Sikkim.
- To the East, it is bounded by Teesta River.
- It lies entirely along the Sikkim-Nepal border. It also touches the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).
- Other notable facts:
- It includes a range of ecosystem, varying from sub-tropic to Arctic, as well as natural forests in different biomes, that support a rich diversity of forest types and habitats.
- It has the world’s third highest peak Mt. Khangchendzonga (8,598 m).
- Zemu Glacier, the largest glacier in the Eastern Himalaya is located at the base of Kangchenjunga mountain.
- Status: Khangchendzonga National Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 under the ‘mixed heritage’ site category (first Indian site in this category).
World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR):
- UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), launched in 1971, is an Intergovernmental Scientific Programme under which, countries can designate as biosphere reserves.
- World network of biosphere reserves (WNBR) was created in 1977 under MAB program. It covers all internationally designated biosphere reserves and promotes cooperation between countries through exchanging knowledge and best practises.
- India has total 18 Biosphere Reserves and by designating Khangchendzonga under WNBR, the number of internationally designated WNBR has become 11, with 7 Biosphere Reserves being domestic Biosphere Reserves.
