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 from 2000 to 2022 (As on December, 2022) 
|
Year
|
No. of National Parks
|
Area Under National Parks (km2)
|
No. of Wild Life Sanctuaries
|
Area Under Wild Life Sanctuaries (km2)
|
No. of Community Reserves
|
Area Under Community Reserves (km2)
|
No. of Conservation Reserves
|
Area Under Conservation Reserves (km2)
|
No. of Protected Areas
|
Total Area under Protected Areas (km2)
|
|
2000
|
89
|
37803.10
|
485
|
108862.50
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
574
|
146665.60
|
|
2006
|
96
|
38392.12
|
503
|
111229.48
|
1
|
0.31
|
4
|
42.87
|
604
|
149664.78
|
|
2007
|
98
|
38428.88
|
507
|
111529.04
|
5
|
21
|
7
|
94.82
|
617
|
150073.74
|
|
2008
|
99
|
39441.74
|
510
|
113123.35
|
5
|
21
|
45
|
1259.84
|
659
|
153845.93
|
|
2009
|
99
|
39441.74
|
512
|
113395.36
|
5
|
21
|
45
|
1259.84
|
661
|
154117.94
|
|
2010
|
102
|
40283.62
|
516
|
113842.87
|
5
|
21
|
47
|
1382.28
|
670
|
155529.77
|
|
2011
|
102
|
40283.62
|
518
|
113998.75
|
5
|
21
|
52
|
1801.29
|
677
|
156104.66
|
|
2012
|
103
|
40500.13
|
526
|
114933.44
|
5
|
21
|
59
|
2012.93
|
693
|
157467.50
|
|
2013
|
102
|
40500.13
|
532
|
117123.63
|
19
|
30.94
|
64
|
2232.61
|
717
|
159887.31
|
|
2014
|
103
|
40500.13
|
535
|
118290.66
|
43
|
58.22
|
64
|
2232.61
|
745
|
161081.62
|
|
2015
|
103
|
40500.13
|
541
|
118866.44
|
44
|
59.51
|
71
|
2548.82
|
759
|
161974.90
|
|
2016
|
103
|
40500.13
|
543
|
118917.71
|
45
|
59.66
|
72
|
2566.20
|
763
|
162043.70
|
|
2017
|
103
|
40500.13
|
544
|
118931.80
|
46
|
72.61
|
76
|
2587.95
|
769
|
162092.49
|
|
2018
|
104
|
40501.13
|
544
|
118931.80
|
46
|
72.61
|
77
|
2594.03
|
771
|
162099.47
|
|
2019
|
101
|
40,564.03
|
553
|
119,756.97
|
163
|
833.34
|
86
|
3,858.25
|
903
|
1,65,012.59
|
|
2020
|
104
|
43,716
|
566
|
1,22,420
|
214
|
1,302
|
97
|
4,483
|
981
|
1,71,921
|
|
2021
|
106
|
44,372.42
|
564
|
1,22,509.33
|
218
|
1,445.71
|
99
|
4,726.24
|
987
|
1,73,053.69
|
|
2022
|
106
|
44,402.95
|
567
|
1,22,564.86
|
220
|
1,455.16
|
105
|
5,206.55
|
998
|
1,73,629.52
|
Source: National Wildlife Database, Wildlife Institute of India
Note: These data are based on availability of data & Gazette Notification of Protected Areas from State Forest Department.
- Community Reserves and Conservation Reserves have been established in India from 2006 onwards. Hence these values are zero.
Protected Areas of India (As on December, 2022)
|
|
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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