# Biosphere reserves of India

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

Twelve 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 | Year |
| 1 | Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve | Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka | 2000 |
| 2 | Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve | Tamil Nadu | 2001 |
| 3 | Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve | West Bengal | 2001 |
| 4 | Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve | Uttarakhand | 2004 |
| 5 | Nokrek Biosphere Reserve | Meghalaya | 2009 |
| 6 | Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve | Madhya Pradesh | 2009 |
| 7 | Simlipal Biosphere Reserve | Odisha | 2009 |
| 8 | Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 2013 |
| 9 | Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve | Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh | 2012 |
| 10 | Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve | Kerala and Tamil Nadu | 2016 |
| 11 | Khangchendzonga National Park | Sikkim | 2018 |
| 12 | Panna Biosphere Reserve | Madhya Pradesh | 2020 |

## List of biosphere reserves in India

Biosphere reserves of India :
| | Year | Name | Location | State | Type | Key fauna | Area (km$^2$) |
| 1 | 1986 | Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve | Part of Waynad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valley | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala | Western Ghats | Nilgiri tahr, tiger, lion-tailed macaque | 5520 |
| 2 | 1988 | Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve | Parts of Chamoli District, Pithoragarh District & Bageshwar District | Uttarakhand | Western Himalayas | Snow leopard, Himalayan black bear | 5860 |
| 3 | 1988 | Nokrek | In West Garo Hills | Meghalaya | Eastern hills | Red panda | 820.00 |
| 4 | 1989 | Gulf of Mannar | 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 | 10500 |
| 5 | 1989 | Sundarbans | Part of delta of Ganges and Brahmaputra river system | West Bengal | Gangetic Delta | Royal Bengal tiger | 9630 |
| 6 | 1989 | Manas | Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang Districts | Assam | Eastern Hills | Asiatic elephant, tiger, Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur, pygmy hog | 2837 |
| 7 | 1989 | Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve | Southernmost of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Islands | Saltwater crocodile | 885 |
| 8 | 1994 | Simlipal | Part of Mayurbhanj district | Odisha | Deccan Peninsula | Gaur, royal Bengal tiger, Asian elephant | 4374 |
| 9 | 1998 | Dihang-Dibang | Part of Siang and Dibang Valley | Arunachal Pradesh | Eastern Himalaya | Mishmi takin, musk deer | 5112 |
| 10 | 1997 | Dibru-Saikhowa | Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts | Assam | Eastern Hills | White-winged wood duck, water buffalo, black-breasted parrotbill, tiger, capped langur | 765 |
| 11 | 1999 | Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve | Parts of Betul District, Hoshangabad District and Chhindwara District | Madhya Pradesh | Semi-Arid | Giant squirrel, flying squirrel | 4981.72 |
| 12 | 2000 | Khangchendzonga National Park | Parts of Kangchenjunga | Sikkim | East Himalayas | Snow leopard, red panda | 2620 |
| 13 | 2001 | Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve | Neyyar, Peppara and Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary, Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and their adjoining areas | Kerala, Tamil Nadu | Western Ghats | Nilgiri tahr, Asian elephant | 3500.08 |
| 14 | 2005 | Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve | Part of Annupur, Dindori and Bilaspur districts | Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh | Maikal Hills | Four-horned antelope, Indian wild dog, sarus crane, white-rumped vulture, sacred grove bush frog | 3835 |
| 15 | 2008 | Great Rann of Kutch | Part of Kutch, Morbi, Surendranagar and Patan districts; the largest biosphere reserve in India. | Gujarat | Desert | Indian wild ass | 12454 |
| 16 | 2009 | Cold Desert | Pin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary | Himachal Pradesh | Western Himalayas | Snow leopard | 7770 |
| 17 | 2010 | Seshachalam Hills biosphere | Seshachalam Hill Ranges covering parts of Chittoor and Kadapa districts | Andhra Pradesh | Eastern Hills | Slender loris | 4755.997 |
| 18 | 2011 | Panna | Part of Panna and Chhattarpur districts in Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | Moist deciduous forest | Bengal tiger, Chinkara, Nilgai, Sambhar 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-Dibang | 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