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

Thirteen of the eighteen biosphere reserves are a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme list.
#NameStates/ UTYear
1Nilgiri Biosphere ReserveTamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka2000
2Gulf of Mannar Biosphere ReserveTamil Nadu2001
3Sundarbans Biosphere ReserveWest Bengal2001
4Nanda Devi Biosphere ReserveUttarakhand2004
5Nokrek Biosphere ReserveMeghalaya2009
6Pachmarhi Biosphere ReserveMadhya Pradesh2009
7Simlipal Biosphere ReserveOdisha2009
8Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere ReserveChhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh2012
9Great Nicobar Biosphere ReserveAndaman & Nicobar Islands2013
10Agasthyamalai Biosphere ReserveKerala and Tamil Nadu2016
11Khangchendzonga National ParkSikkim2018
12Panna Biosphere ReserveMadhya Pradesh2020
13Cold DesertHimachal Pradesh2025

Potential sites

The following is a list of potential sites for Biosphere Reserves as selected by Ministry of Forests and Environment:
Maharashtra