Which one of the following is included in the world list of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO ?

The Sunderbans is included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme [2]. Established as a national biosphere reserve in 1989, it was later recognized internationally by UNESCO in 2001 [3][t2]. Currently, India has 18 biosphere reserves, of which 12 are part of the UNESCO World Network [c2][t6]. The Sunderbans, located in West Bengal, is one of the largest such reserves and is globally significant for its mangrove ecosystem and tiger population [t2]. In contrast, the Kinnaur Region and Spiti Valley are part of the 'Cold Desert' biosphere reserve, which is a national reserve but was not among the initial UNESCO-recognized sites listed in the provided texts [c4][c5]. The Nallamalai Hills are not designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Therefore, Sunderbans is the only correct option among the choices provided [c1][c3].

Sources

1. [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > Table 5.8 > p. 51
2. [2] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation > BIOSPHERE RESERVES > p. 50
3. [3] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > zoning of Biosphere reserves > p. 37