Protected Areas in India

Protected Areas in India

Protected areas are legally or officially recognised areas established to conserve wildlife, habitats, ecosystems and biodiversity. India has several categories of protected areas, each with different levels of protection and management objectives.

Protected Areas Comparison Table

National Parks

National Parks are areas established to protect wildlife, habitats and ecosystems. Human activities are generally more restricted than in many other protected-area categories, and activities such as tourism are regulated under specific rules.

Wildlife Sanctuaries

Wildlife Sanctuaries are protected areas established primarily for the conservation of wildlife and their habitats. Certain human activities may be permitted subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Tiger Reserves

Tiger Reserves are designated areas created specifically for the conservation of tigers and their habitats under India’s tiger conservation framework. They generally consist of a core area with stronger protection and a buffer area managed with compatible conservation and human-use objectives.

Conservation Reserves

Conservation Reserves are government-owned areas designated to conserve landscapes, habitats, flora, fauna and important ecological corridors. They can also help connect larger protected areas.

Community Reserves

Community Reserves are areas where local communities or private individuals participate in conservation while the area receives recognition and protection under India’s wildlife conservation framework.

Biosphere Reserves

Biosphere Reserves are large areas recognised under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme or India’s national biosphere-reserve framework to promote conservation alongside sustainable development and research. A biosphere reserve can contain protected areas such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Complete List of National Parks (Master Table)

For ease of reference, here is the consolidated master list of all 106 Indian National Parks. Due to space constraints, “Area” is in sq km, and “TR” stands for Tiger Reserve.

The Complete Master Table (All 58 Tiger Reserves)

Legend: Core/Buff/Tot = Area in sq km;; Season = Best visiting months.

Why Protected Areas Matter

Together, these different conservation categories help protect India’s forests, wetlands, grasslands, mountains, deserts, coastal ecosystems and the wildlife that depends on them.

WildlifeSafaris.in provides destination and species guides to help readers understand India’s protected areas, their wildlife and their conservation importance.