Biosphere Reserves in India

Biosphere Reserves in India

Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over large areas of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination of both.

  • It is a protected area where plants and animals are conserved.
  • 1979 First Biosphere Reserve of the world established.
  • There are currently(April 2021) 714 biosphere reserves in 129  countries, including 21 transboundary sites, that belong to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves
  • Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. Biosphere Reserves are designated under the intergovernmental MAB Programme by the Director-General of UNESCO. Their status is internationally recognized. 
  • Biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity.

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence. The World Network of Biosphere Reserves promotes North-South and South-South collaboration and represents a unique tool for international co-operation through sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, building capacity and promoting best practices.

Biosphere Reserves involve local communities and all interested stakeholders in planning and management. They integrate three main “functions”:

  • Conservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity
  • Economic development that is socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable
  • Logistic support, underpinning development through research, monitoring, education and training

These three functions are pursued through the Biosphere Reserves’ three main zones

Core Areas

It comprises a strictly protected zone that contributes to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation. Human intervention is strictly prohibited. It is the innermost undisturbed ecosystem.

Buffer Zones

It surrounds or adjoins the core area, and is used for activities compatible with sound ecological practices that can reinforce scientific research, monitoring, training and education. Only the research and education activities are permitted to humans.

Transition Area

The transition area is where communities foster socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable economic and human activities. Also known as zone of cooperation.

Biosphere Reserve
Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme

The MAB programme Launched in 1971, is an intergovernmental scientific programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments. It combines the natural and social sciences with a view to improving human livelihoods and safeguarding natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable.

Biosphere Reserves In India

Indian government has established 18 biosphere reserves (categories roughly correspondingly to IUCN Category V Protected areas) to protect larger areas of natural habitat than a typical national park or animal sanctuary, and that often include one or more national parks or reserves.

Biosphere Reserves in India
Map of 18 Biosphere reserves in India

Biosphere reserves in India map
Map of biosphere reserves in India
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18 Biosphere Reserves in India
YearNameLocationStateTypeKey fauna
11986Nilgiri Biosphere ReservePart of  Waynad, Nagarhole,
Bandipur and Mudumalai,
Nilambur, Silent Valley
Tamil Nadu, 
Kerala 
and Karnataka
Western GhatsNilgiri tahr, tiger, lion-tailed macaque
21988Nanda Devi Biosphere ReserveParts of Chamoli District, 
Pithoragarh District & Bageshwar District
UttarakhandWestern HimalayasSnow leopard, Himalayan black bear
31989Gulf of MannarIndian part of Gulf of Mannar extending from Rameswaram island in the north to 
Kanyakumari in the south of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka
Tamil NaduCoastsDugong
41988NokrekIn west Garo HillsMeghalayaEastern hillsRed panda
51989SundarbansPart of delta of Ganges and Brahmaputra river systemWest BengalGangetic DeltaRoyal Bengal tiger
61989ManasPart of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang DistrictsAssamEastern HillsAsiatic elephant, tiger, Assam roofedturtle, hispid hare, golden langur, pygmy hog
71994SimlipalPart of Mayurbhanj districtOdishaDeccan PeninsulaGaur, royal Bengal tiger, Asian elephant
81998Dihang-DibangPart of Siang and Dibang ValleyArunachal PradeshEastern HimalayaMishmi takin, musk deer
91999Pachmarhi Biosphere ReserveParts of Betul District, Hoshangabad District and Chhindwara DistrictMadhya PradeshSemi-AridGiant squirrel, flying squirrel
102005Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere ReservePart of Annupur, Dindori and Bilaspur districtsMadhya Pradesh, ChhattisgarhMaikala HillsFour-horned antelope, Indian wild dog, sarus crane, white-rumped vulture, sacred grove bush frog
112008Great Rann of KutchPart of Kutch, Morbi, Surendranagar and Patan districts; the largest biosphere reserve in India.GujaratDesertIndian wild ass
122009Cold DesertPin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife SanctuaryHimachal PradeshWestern HimalayasSnow leopard
132000Khangchendzonga National ParkParts of KangchenjungaSikkimEast HimalayasSnow leopard, red panda
142001Agasthyamalai Biosphere ReserveNeyyar, Peppara and Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary and their adjoining areasKerala, Tamil NaduWestern GhatsNilgiri tahr, Asian elephant
151989Great Nicobar Biosphere ReserveSouthernmost of the Andaman and Nicobar IslandsAndaman and Nicobar IslandsIslandsSaltwater crocodile
161997Dibru-SaikhowaPart of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districtsAssamEastern HillsWhite-winged wood duck, water buffalo, black-breasted parrotbill, tiger, capped langur
172010Seshachalam HillsSeshachalam Hill Ranges covering parts of Chittoor and Kadapa districtsAndhra PradeshEastern HillsSlender loris
182011PannaPart of Panna and Chhattarpur districts in Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh

18 Biosphere Reserves In India

  • Largest Biosphere in India – Gulf of Munnar(Tamilnadu)
  • Smallest Biosphere in India – Panna (Madhya Pradesh)
  • First Biosphere in India – Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is a part of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka.

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.

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
8Great Nicobar Biosphere ReserveAndaman & Nicobar Islands2013
9Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere ReserveChhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh2012
10Agasthyamalai Biosphere ReserveKerala and Tamil Nadu2016
11Khangchendzonga National ParkSikkim2018
12Panna National ParkMadhya Pradesh2020

India’s Bosphere reserves that are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme list