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| Last Updated:: 17/02/2023

Protected Areas of India

Protected areas are those in which human occupation or at least the exploitation of resources is limited. The definition that has been widely accepted across regional and global frameworks has been provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its categorization guidelines for protected areas. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international organizations involved. The term "protected area" also includes Marine Protected Areas, the boundaries of which will include some area of ocean, and Transboundary Protected Areas that overlap multiple countries which remove the borders inside the area for conservation and economic purposes.

 

 

 

 

Protected Areas of India (As on January, 2023)

 

 

 

No.

Total Area (km2)

Coverage % of Country

National Parks

106

44,402.95

1.35

Wildlife Sanctuaries

567

1,22,564.86

3.73

Conservation Reserves

105

 5,206.55

0.16

Community Reserves

220

1,455.16

0.04

Protected Areas (PAs)

998

 1,73,629.52

5.28

 

Source: National Wildlife Database Centre, Wildlife Institute of India

 

 

Geographical Area of India (http://knowindia.gov.in/)

=

32,87,263  km2

 

Forest cover of India (FSI, 2021)

 

 

Forest + Tree Cover Area 7,13,789 + 95,748

=

8,09,537 km2

Forest + Tree Cover Percentage 21.71% + 2.91%

=

24.62% of the geographical area of India

 

Download India State of Forest Report 2021 (Source: Forest Survery of India)

  

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Protected Areas Point Location in Bhuvan Portal (more...)

 

 

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