There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India. 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, 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. List of biosphere reserves in India Key faunas 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 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 External links Ministry of Environment and Forests Nature conservation in India Protected areas of India