Biosphere Reserves of India
Forest & Wildlife · भारत के जैव मंडल आरक्षित क्षेत्र · 18 facts
India has 18 Biosphere Reserves (BRs); 12 are recognized by UNESCO under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
Biosphere Reserve 3 zones: Core Zone (no human activity, strictly protected), Buffer Zone (research/eco-tourism), Transition Zone (human settlements/sustainable use).
First Indian Biosphere Reserve: Nilgiri BR (1986); covers parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka; includes Mudumalai, Bandipur, Nagarhole, Wayanad.
Largest Indian Biosphere Reserve: Gulf of Mannar (10,500 sq km; Tamil Nadu coast); first marine BR in India; 3600 species of plants and animals.
12 UNESCO MAB recognized Indian BRs: Gulf of Mannar, Nilgiri, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Pachmarhi, Simlipal, Great Nicobar, Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Nokrek, Agasthyamalai, Kanchenjunga, Panna.
Nanda Devi BR (Uttarakhand): UNESCO listed; includes Valley of Flowers NP and Nanda Devi NP (both World Heritage Sites); trans-Himalayan ecosystem.
Sundarbans BR (West Bengal): UNESCO listed; mangrove ecosystem; Bengal tigers; Ganga-Brahmaputra delta; largest single block of mangroves in world.
Nokrek BR (Meghalaya): UNESCO listed; home to Red Panda; citrus gene sanctuary; Garo Hills; includes Nokrek NP.
Pachmarhi BR (Madhya Pradesh): UNESCO listed; in Satpura range; only Biosphere Reserve in MP; includes Bori, Satpura, and Pachmarhi wildlife sanctuaries.
Simlipal BR (Odisha): UNESCO listed; Mayurbhanj district; known for tigers, elephants, Limca Book of Records for largest protected area in Odisha.
Great Nicobar BR (A&N Islands): UNESCO listed; includes Campbell Bay NP; unique island ecosystem; Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting site; southern tip of India.
Agasthyamalai BR (Kerala/Tamil Nadu): UNESCO listed; hotspot for medicinal plants; Agasthyar Falls; Neyyar, Peppara, Shenduruney WLS.
Kanchenjunga BR (Sikkim): UNESCO listed (2018); India's newest UNESCO BR; has unique alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems; highest peak in India.
Panna BR (Madhya Pradesh): UNESCO listed (2020); known for tiger reintroduction success; Ken River flows through it; Ken-Betwa river linking project controversy.
Cold Desert BR (Himachal Pradesh): Not yet UNESCO listed; trans-Himalayan; includes Pin Valley NP; snow leopard habitat; unique cold arid ecosystem.
Sesachalam BR (Andhra Pradesh): Known for Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) — an endangered endemic tree; in Tirupati hills; major illegal logging issue.
MAB World Network of Biosphere Reserves: 738 globally (2023); India's BRs are part of this; promotes sustainability science, environmental monitoring.
Achanakmar-Amarkantak BR (MP/Chhattisgarh): UNESCO listed; source of Narmada and Sone rivers; Sal forest ecosystem; rich in medicinal plants.