Madhya Pradesh’s Panna National Park has been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The UNESCO’s recognition cited PTR as a critical tiger habitat.

Background:

Every year UNESCO appoints new biosphere reserves and removes others to promote the conservation of biodiversity, resolve the man-animal conflict at that site and allow sustainable use of natural resources.

UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB):

The idea of the biosphere reserve was initiated by UNESCO in 1974 under the MAB with the objective of obtaining international cooperation for the conservation of the biospheres.

1. Launched in 1971, UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an Intergovernmental Scientific Programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
2. MAB combines the natural and social sciences, economics and education to improve human livelihoods and the equitable sharing of benefits, and to safeguard natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate, and environmentally sustainable.

Under this, Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life.

• The first of India’s reserves to make it to UNESCO’s list was Tamil Nadu’s Niligiri Biosphere Reserve in 2000.

About Panna Tiger Reserve:

• The Panna tiger reserve is situated in the Vindhya mountain range in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh.
• Ken river (a tributary of the Yamuna River) flows through the reserve.
• The region is also famous for Panna diamond mining.
• Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will be located within the tiger reserve.