From snow leopards to coral reefs: India’s biosphere reserves connect conservation with livelihoods

In the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, indigenous artisans transform invasive Lantana vines into elephant sculptures and furniture to support livelihoods while raising ecological awareness. This initiative links conservation with economic activity across India, which maintains 18 notified biosphere reserves. Thirteen of these reserves are part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The network encompasses diverse ecosystems, from the Western Ghats and the Sundarbans to the Gulf of Mannar and the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in Himachal Pradesh. India’s biosphere reserves operate under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, balancing core conservation zones, buffer zones, and transition areas where settlements and sustainable livelihoods are located. In 2021, 125 life-sized Lantana elephants created in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve were displayed in London to promote coexistence with wildlife, with similar installations later appearing at Bengaluru Airport and Rashtrapati Bhavan.