There are 18 biosphere reserves in India. [1] 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.
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.[1][2][3]
# | 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[2] |
10 | Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve | Kerala and Tamil Nadu | 2016[4] |
11 | Khangchendzonga National Park | Sikkim | 2018[5] |
12 | Panna Biosphere Reserve | Madhya Pradesh | 2020[6] |
The following is a list of potential sites for Biosphere Reserves as selected by Ministry of Forests and Environment:[11]