Asia is home to so many stunning natural wonders, and thanks to the expansion of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, six of them have just received official protection from the UN. At the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in Hangzhou, China, more than 2,000 global experts, activists, Indigenous leaders and policy-makers gathered to map out the future of one of the world’s most ambitious conservation projects – and to celebrate a fresh wave of designations that span every corner of the planet. Among them: a cluster of spectacular new additions across Asia that will see some of the region’s most extraordinary ecosystems recognised as UN Biosphere Reserves for the very first time.
Since 2018, the programme has expanded by a staggering 142 reserves, bringing more than one million square kilometres of natural areas under protection. Today, there are 785 reserves across 138 countries, covering an area roughly the size of Australia and supporting the 300 million people who live within them.
More than just pretty patches of land, biosphere reserves safeguard some of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems – from coral reefs and mangroves to salt marshes and mountain forests. They’re also about people: fostering community-led conservation, creating green jobs, and serving as outdoor classrooms for future generations.
The latest designations spotlight landscapes that are as culturally significant as they are ecologically rich, with seven new additions across six Asian countries. In China, Daqingshan and Zhouzhi are now officially biosphere reserves, with their mountain ecosystems and biodiversity brought under global protection. India’s Cold Desert, nestled high in the Himalayas, has also earned recognition, alongside Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, a dazzling marine wonderland known as one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.
In Malaysia, the Kinabatangan floodplain joins the list, safeguarding vital riverine forests and wildlife corridors for orangutans, pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys. Mongolia’s Khomyn Tal reserve, meanwhile, protects vast steppe grasslands and the critically endangered Przewalski’s horse. Tajikistan’s Romit reserve brings Central Asia into the fold.
All told, six Asian countries now boast biosphere reserves for the very first time – a milestone moment that broadens the reach of a programme designed to function as “living laboratories” for climate solutions, biodiversity protection and sustainable livelihoods.
Asia’s new UN Biodiversity Reserves
Daqingshan, China
Zhouzhi, China
Cold Desert, India
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Kinabatangan floodplain, Malaysia
Khomyn Tal reserve, Mongolia
Romit reserve, Tajikistan
It’s not just Asia making headlines. New reserves have been announced everywhere from Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula to France’s Lac du Bourget, with São Tomé and Príncipe becoming the first nation to have its entire territory recognised as a biosphere reserve. In Africa, Angola, Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea all celebrate inaugural designations, while Ethiopia and Madagascar add even more protected areas to the mix.Over in the Middle East, Oman celebrates its first two designations: Al Jabal Al Akhdar and Sirrin.
As UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay put it in Hangzhou, the goal is clear: by 2035, every Member State should establish at least one biosphere reserve. With the new designations, Asia is helping to lead the charge.
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