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
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.

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


 * 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
 * Tawang and West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh
 * Thar Desert, Rajasthan
 * Tadoba National Park and Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Maharashtra