Biosphere reserves of India
| Wildlife of India |
|---|
 |
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.
World network
Twelve of the eighteen biosphere reserves are a part of the
| # | 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] |
List of biosphere reserves in India
| Year | Name | Location | State | Type | Key fauna | Area (km2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1986 | Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve | Part of | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala | Western Ghats | Nilgiri tahr, tiger, lion-tailed macaque | 5520 |
| 2 | 1988 | Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve |
Parts of 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 Brahmaputra river system |
West Bengal | Gangetic Delta |
Royal Bengal tiger |
9630 |
| 6 | 1989 | Manas | Part of Darrang Districts |
Assam | Eastern Hills | 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 |
royal Bengal tiger, Asian elephant |
4374 |
| 9 | 1998 | Dihang-Dibang | Part of Dibang Valley |
Arunachal Pradesh | Eastern Himalaya |
Mishmi takin, musk deer | 5112 |
| 10 | 1997 | Dibru-Saikhowa |
Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts | Assam | Eastern Hills | 765 | |
| 11 | 1999 | Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve | Parts of 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 |
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 Bilaspur districts |
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh | Maikal Hills | 3835 | |
| 15 | 2008 | Great Rann of Kutch | Part of 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[8] |
| 18 | 2011[9] | 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[10] |
Key fauna
Potential sites
The following is a list of potential sites for Biosphere Reserves as selected by Ministry of Forests and Environment:[11]
- 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
- West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh
- Thar Desert, Rajasthan
- Tadoba National Park and Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Maharashtra
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
- ^ a b "Biosphere Reserves in India" (PDF). Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ a b "20 new Biosphere Reserves added to UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme". UNESCO. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "Man and the Biosphere Programme". UNESCO. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "20 sites added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves". UNESCO. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ Mohan, Vishwa (8 August 2018). "Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve gets entry into the UNESCO's global list". The Economic Times (India). Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "Panna Biosphere Reserve, India". UNESCO. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Biosphere Reserves Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
- ^ "Biosphere Reserves in India (as on Dec, 2014)". December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ "The Environmental Planning & Coordination Organisation". epco.mp.gov.in. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- Outlook India. 7 November 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ "Status of Biosphere reserves in India" (PDF). ENVIRO NEWS, Ministry of Environment and Forests. January–March 2008. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Biosphere reserves of India.
Biosphere reserves of India.
- Wildlife Institute of India webpage on India's Biosphere Reserves at archive.today (archived 9 May 2004)
- United Nations List of National Parks and Protected Areas: India (1993) at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 25 November 2001)
- Ministry of Environment and Forests