There are 18 biosphere reserves in India. They protect larger areas of natural habitat than a typical national park or animal sanctuary, and often include one or more national parks or reserves, along with buffer zones that are open to some economic uses. 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. In total there are 18 biosphere reserves in India.
World network Thirteen of the eighteen biosphere reserves are a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme list.
# Name States/ UT Year1 Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka 20002 Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Tamil Nadu 20013 Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve West Bengal 20014 Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve Uttarakhand 20045 Nokrek Biosphere Reserve Meghalaya 20096 Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve Madhya Pradesh 20097 Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Odisha 20098 Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh 20129 Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve Andaman & Nicobar Islands 201310 Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve Kerala and Tamil Nadu 201611 Khangchendzonga National Park Sikkim 201812 Panna Biosphere Reserve Madhya Pradesh 202013 Cold Desert Himachal Pradesh 2025
List of biosphere reserves in India + Biosphere reserves of IndiaBiosphere Reserves Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. Year Name Location State/UT Type Key fauna Area (km2)11986 Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Part of Waynad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Sathyamangalam, Nilambur, Silent Valley Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala Western Ghats Nilgiri tahr, tiger, Asian elephant lion-tailed macaque 552021988 Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve Parts of Chamoli District, Pithoragarh District & Bageshwar District Uttarakhand Western Himalayas Snow leopard, Himalayan black bear 586031988 Nokrek In West Garo Hills Meghalaya Eastern hillsRed panda 820.00 41989 Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Indian part of Gulf of Mannar extending from Rameswaram island in the north to Kanyakumari in the south of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka Tamil Nadu Coasts Dugong 1050051989 Sundarbans Part of delta of Ganges and Brahmaputra river system West Bengal Gangetic Delta Royal Bengal tiger 963061989 Manas Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang Districts Assam Eastern HillsAsiatic elephant, tiger, Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur, pygmy hog 283771989 Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve Southernmost of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Andaman and Nicobar Islands Islands Saltwater crocodile 88581994 Simlipal Part of Mayurbhanj district Odisha Deccan Peninsula Gaur, royal Bengal tiger, Asian elephant 437491997 Dibru-Saikhowa Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts Assam Eastern HillsWhite-winged wood duck, water buffalo, black-breasted parrotbill, tiger, capped langur 765101998 Dihang-Dibang Part of Siang and Dibang Valley Arunachal Pradesh Eastern Himalaya Mishmi takin, musk deer 5112111999 Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve Parts of Betul District, Hoshangabad District and Chhindwara District Madhya Pradesh Semi-AridGiant squirrel, flying squirrel 4981.72122000 Khangchendzonga National Park Parts of Kangchenjunga Sikkim Eastern Himalayas Snow leopard, red panda 2620132001 Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve Neyyar, Peppara and Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary, Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and their adjoining areas Kerala and Tamil Nadu Western Ghats Nilgiri tahr, Bengal tiger, Asian elephant 3500.08142005 Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve Part of Annupur, Dindori and Bilaspur districts Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Maikal HillsFour-horned antelope, Indian wild dog, sarus crane, white-rumped vulture, sacred grove bush frog 3835.51152008 Great Rann of Kutch Part of Kutch, Morbi, Surendranagar and Patan districts; the largest biosphere reserve in India.Gujarat Desert Indian wild ass 12454162009 Cold Desert Pin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary Himachal Pradesh Western Himalayas Snow leopard 7770172010 Seshachalam Hills biosphere Seshachalam Hill Ranges covering parts of Chittoor and Kadapa districts Andhra PradeshEastern Ghats Slender loris 4755.997182011 Panna Part of Panna and Chhattarpur districts in Madhya Pradesh Madhya PradeshMoist deciduous forest Bengal tiger, Chinkara, Nilgai, sambar deer, and Sloth bear 2998.98
Key fauna Name Key Fauna Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Lion Tailed Macaque (EN), Nilgiri Tahr (EN), Malabar Giant Squirrel (LC), Nilgiri Langur (VU) Nanda Devi Snow Leopard (VU), Musk Deer (EN), Bharal Or Blue Sheep (LC) Nokrek Red Panda (EN), Hoolock Gibbons (EN), Red Giant Flying Squirrel (LC) Great Nicobar Dugong (VU), Saltwater Crocodile (LC) Gulf of Mannar Dugong (VU), Olive Ridley turtles (VU) Manas Assam Roofed Turtle (EN), Hispid Hare (EN), Golden Langur (EN), Pygmy Hog (EN), Wild Water Buffalo (EN), Bengal florican (CR) Sunderbans Royal Bengal Tiger (EN) Simlipal Royal Bengal Tigers, Wild Elephants (EN), Gaurs (VU – Indian Bison), Chausingha (VU) Dibru-Saikhowa Bengal Tiger, Clouded Leopard (VU), Gangetic Dolphin (EN) Dehang-Debang Takin (VU), Red Panda (EN) Pachmarhi Tiger, Gaur, Indian Giant Flying Squirrels (LC) Khangchendzonga Red Panda (EN), Snow Leopard (VU), Musk Deer (EN), Great Tibetan Sheep (Argali – NT) Agasthyamalai Nilgiri Tahr (EN) Achanakamar - Amarkantak Four Horned Antelope (Chausingha (VU)), Indian Wild Dog (VU) Great Rann of Kutch (Kachchh) Great Indian Bustard (CR), Indian Wild Ass (NT) Cold Desert Snow Leopard (VU), Himalayan Ibex (also referred to as Siberian Ibex – LC) Seshachalam Hills Red Sanders (NT), Golden Gecko (LC – Endemic To Tirumala Hills) Panna Tiger (EN), Chital (LC), Chinkara (LC), Sambar (VU)
Potential sites The following is a list of potential sites for Biosphere Reserves as selected by Ministry of Forests and Environment:
Abujmarh, Chhattisgarh Andaman and Nicobar, North Islands Chintapalli, Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh Kanha, Madhya Pradesh Kovalam, Kerala Lakshadweep Islands, Lakshadweep Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat Phawngpui (Blue Mountain), Mizoram Namdapha, Arunachal Pradesh Singhbhum, Jharkhand Tawang and West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh Thar Desert, Rajasthan Tadoba National Park and Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Maharashtra Bhitarkanika,Kendrapara,Odisha
See also
Bodhi Tree List of Banyan trees in India List of national parks of India Sacred groves of India Sacred trees Wildlife sanctuaries of India
References
External links
Ministry of Environment and Forests