{"id":352819,"date":"2025-12-27T12:57:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T07:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=352819"},"modified":"2025-12-27T12:57:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T07:27:49","slug":"biodiversity-in-uttar-pradesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/biodiversity-in-uttar-pradesh\/","title":{"rendered":"Biodiversity in Uttar Pradesh"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>According to the <strong>India State of Forest Report 2023<\/strong>, the <strong>green cover of Uttar Pradesh<\/strong> stands at <strong>9.96 percent of its total geographical area<\/strong>, indicating gradual improvement through conservation efforts.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Table of Content<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"#t1\">Biodiversity in Uttar Pradesh<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#t2\">Status of Biodiversity in Uttar Pradesh<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#t3\">Major Ecosystems and Biodiversity Hotspots in UP<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#t4\">Institutional and Policy Measures by Uttar Pradesh Government<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#t5\">Challenges related to Biodiversity Conservation in Uttar Pradesh<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#t6\">Way Forward<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"t1\"><\/a>Biodiversity in Uttar Pradesh<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Biodiversity<\/strong> refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth, encompassing <strong>genetic diversity<\/strong>, <strong>species diversity<\/strong>, and <strong>ecosystem diversity<\/strong>. It forms the ecological foundation for <strong>sustainable development<\/strong>, <strong>livelihood security<\/strong>, and <strong>climate resilience<\/strong>.<br \/>\nUttar Pradesh, despite high population pressure, possesses <strong>rich biological diversity<\/strong> owing to its varied <strong>physiographic regions<\/strong> such as the <strong>Terai belt<\/strong>, <strong>Gangetic plains<\/strong>, <strong>Vindhyan plateau<\/strong>, and <strong>riverine ecosystems<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-style: solid; background-color: #eff57a;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><strong>Category<\/strong><\/th>\n<th><strong>Names\u00a0<\/strong><\/th>\n<th><strong>Location<\/strong><\/th>\n<th><strong>Key Significance<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>National Parks<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Dudhwa National Park<\/td>\n<td>Lakhimpur Kheri (Terai region)<\/td>\n<td>Terai ecosystem; Tiger, Swamp Deer (Barasingha), Elephant; reintroduced One-horned Rhinoceros<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Wildlife Sanctuaries<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Chandraprabha WLS, Katarniaghat WLS, Mahaveer Swami WLS, National Chambal WLS<\/td>\n<td>Chandauli; Bahraich; Lalitpur; Agra\u2013Etawah belt<\/td>\n<td>Dry deciduous &amp; riverine habitats; Leopard, Gharial, Gangetic Dolphin; teak forests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Tiger Reserves<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Dudhwa TR, Pilibhit TR, Amangarh TR, Ranipur TR<\/td>\n<td>Lakhimpur Kheri; Pilibhit; Bijnor; Chitrakoot\u2013Banda<\/td>\n<td>Tiger conservation; Terai &amp; Bundelkhand landscapes; wildlife corridors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Bird Sanctuaries<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Bakhira, Nawabganj, Sandi, Samaspur Bird Sanctuaries<\/td>\n<td>Sant Kabir Nagar; Unnao; Hardoi; Raebareli<\/td>\n<td>Migratory birds on Central Asian Flyway; wetland ecosystems; Ramsar site (Bakhira)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"t2\"><\/a>Status of Biodiversity in Uttar Pradesh<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Forest and Green Cover<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Total Forest Cover<\/strong>: Around <strong>6.98%<\/strong> of the state\u2019s area<\/li>\n<li><strong>Total Green Cover (Forest + Tree cover)<\/strong>: <strong>9.96% (ISFR 2023)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Dominant forest types include <strong>Tropical Moist Deciduous<\/strong>, <strong>Dry Deciduous<\/strong>, and <strong>Terai forests<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Protected Area Network<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>National Parks<\/strong>: 1 (Dudhwa National Park)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wildlife Sanctuaries<\/strong>: 24 to 26<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tiger Reserves<\/strong>: 4 \u2013 <em>Dudhwa, Pilibhit, Amangarh, Ranipur<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ramsar Sites<\/strong>: 10 wetlands of international importance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/up-new-forest-policy\/\">Read more about UP New Forest Policy<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"t3\"><\/a>Major Ecosystems and Biodiversity Hotspots in UP<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Terai Ecosystem<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Terai belt districts are<strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-processed=\"true\"> Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar, etc.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Rich in <strong>sal forests<\/strong>, <strong>grasslands<\/strong>, and <strong>wetlands<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Supports <strong>tiger, swamp deer, one-horned rhinoceros (reintroduced)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gangetic Riverine Ecosystem<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>This ecosystem is found in district of <strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-processed=\"true\">Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Mirzapur, etc.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Habitat for <strong>Gangetic Dolphin<\/strong>, <strong>gharial<\/strong>, <strong>turtles<\/strong>, and migratory birds<\/li>\n<li>Important wetlands like <strong>Sarsai Nawar Jheel<\/strong> and <strong>Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vindhyan and Bundelkhand Region<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Vindhyan and Bundelkhand Region are present in <strong>Jhansi, Jalaun, Mahoba, Chitrakoot, etc.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Dry deciduous forests<\/li>\n<li>Species like <strong>sloth bear<\/strong>, <strong>chinkara<\/strong>, <strong>hyena<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"t4\"><\/a>Institutional and Policy Measures by Uttar Pradesh Government<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Institutional Framework<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Uttar Pradesh Biodiversity Board (2006)<\/strong> established under the <strong>Biological Diversity Act, 2002<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs)<\/strong> at <strong>Gram Panchayat level<\/strong> for:\n<ul>\n<li>Preparation of <strong>People\u2019s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Conservation of <strong>local bio-resources<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>In-Situ Conservation<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dudhwa National Park<\/strong>: Flagship protected area in Terai region<\/li>\n<li><strong>Important Wildlife Sanctuaries<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hastinapur Sanctuary<\/strong> \u2013 Upper Gangetic plains<\/li>\n<li><strong>Katarniaghat Sanctuary<\/strong> \u2013 Gharial conservation<\/li>\n<li><strong>National Chambal Sanctuary<\/strong> \u2013 Gharial and dolphin protection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tiger Conservation<\/strong>: Population increase due to corridor management and anti-poaching measures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ex-Situ Conservation<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>DNA Bank of <strong>128 medicinal plants<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Seed Banks<\/strong>, <strong>Botanical Gardens<\/strong>, <strong>Zoological Parks<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Elephant Conservation &amp; Care Centre<\/strong>, Mathura<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wetland Conservation<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>10 Ramsar Sites<\/strong>, including:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bakhira Bird Sanctuary<\/strong> (Ramsar 2021)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sur Sarovar<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Sarsai Nawar Jheel<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Important for <strong>migratory birds of Central Asian Flyway<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Biodiversity Parks<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Central-approved <strong>Mega Biodiversity Park Project<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Key parks:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mohanpur Biodiversity Park (Mirzapur)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ramghat (Bulandshahr)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Alamgirpur (Hapur)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>State Forest Policy, 2017<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Focus on:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Scientific forest management<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Community participation<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Afforestation and agro-forestry<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Targeted increase in <strong>tree cover outside forests<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/invest.up.gov.in\/infrastructure\/\">Read more about Infrastructure Revolution in UP<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"t5\"><\/a>Challenges related to Biodiversity <\/strong><strong>Conservation <\/strong><strong>in Uttar Pradesh<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Low forest cover<\/strong>: Uttar Pradesh has forest and tree cover significantly <strong>below the national average<\/strong>, limiting habitat availability and ecological resilience.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Human\u2013wildlife conflict<\/strong>: Frequent <strong>conflicts in the Terai region<\/strong>, especially involving tigers, elephants, and leopards, lead to loss of life, crops, and declining local support for conservation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wetland degradation<\/strong>: <strong>Encroachment, sewage discharge, agricultural runoff<\/strong>, and invasive species are degrading wetlands, affecting migratory birds and aquatic biodiversity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Habitat fragmentation<\/strong>: <strong>Expansion of roads, railways, canals, and urban infrastructure<\/strong> disrupts wildlife corridors and restricts animal movement and genetic exchange.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Climate change impacts<\/strong>: <strong>Changing rainfall patterns<\/strong> and <strong>rising temperatures<\/strong> are altering species distribution, breeding cycles, and increasing vulnerability of sensitive ecosystems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"t6\"><\/a>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Policy strengthening<\/strong>: Implement a comprehensive <strong>State Biodiversity Conservation Policy<\/strong> aligned with <strong>Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)<\/strong> targets and SDGs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Landscape-level conservation<\/strong>: Promote <strong>wildlife corridors<\/strong> and <strong>buffer zone<\/strong>s, particularly in <strong>Terai<\/strong> and <strong>Bundelkhand regions<\/strong>, to ensure habitat connectivity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Community participation<\/strong>: Encourage <strong>community-based conservation<\/strong> through <strong>eco-development committees<\/strong>, compensation mechanisms, and livelihood incentives such as <strong>eco-tourism<\/strong> and <strong>agroforestry<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wetland restoration<\/strong>: Rejuvenate wetlands under <strong>Mission Amrit Sarovar<\/strong> and Ramsar guidelines with <strong>scientific management<\/strong> and <strong>local stewardship<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mainstreaming biodiversity<\/strong>: Integrate biodiversity concerns into infrastructure, industrial, and urban planning through <strong>environmental impact assessments<\/strong> and <strong>nature-based solutions.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Biodiversity is the <strong>ecological backbone of Uttar Pradesh<\/strong>, supporting agriculture, water security, climate resilience, and livelihoods. While initiatives like <strong>ISFR-guided afforestation<\/strong>, <strong>Ramsar site expansion<\/strong>, and <strong>tiger conservation<\/strong> show progress, a <strong>dedicated State Biodiversity Conservation Policy<\/strong> with strong community participation is essential.<br \/>\nProtecting biodiversity is not just an environmental imperative but a <strong>developmental necessity<\/strong>, directly contributing to <strong>SDGs 13, 14, and 15<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, the green cover of Uttar Pradesh stands at 9.96 percent of its total geographical area, indicating gradual improvement through conservation efforts. Table of Content Biodiversity in Uttar Pradesh Status of Biodiversity in Uttar Pradesh Major Ecosystems and Biodiversity Hotspots in UP Institutional and Policy Measures by&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/biodiversity-in-uttar-pradesh\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Biodiversity in Uttar Pradesh<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10398,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,12144],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-352819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-up-psc","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10398"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352819\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}