Protected Areas of Rajasthan

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Land is being converted at a rapid pace, mainly for farming and forestry. About a third of the Earth’s land has already lost its natural character or is losing it, damaging biodiversity and ecosystem services such as carbon storage. Protected areas are one answer. When they are managed well and governed fairly, they protect nature, cultural heritage and local livelihoods together.

This article explains what protected areas are, the kinds India has, and how many protected areas Rajasthan has today.

What is a protected area?

A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised and managed through legal or other effective means, for the long-term conservation of nature. Human disturbance is kept to a minimum, and the use of natural resources is limited or controlled. This definition follows the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In India, protected areas are defined in Section 2(24A) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Under the Act, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and community reserves are protected areas, notified under Chapter IV. Reserved forests are not protected areas.

Types of protected areas in India

National park

A state government can declare an area a national park because of its ecological, faunal, floral or geomorphological importance. The area may lie inside a sanctuary. National parks have the strictest protection: no human activity is allowed without the permission of the state’s Chief Wildlife Warden.

Wildlife sanctuary

A state government can declare an area a wildlife sanctuary for the same reasons, with its boundaries set out in the notification. Compared with a national park, a sanctuary may allow some regulated activities, such as grazing.

Conservation reserve

Conservation reserves are created on government land, especially around national parks and sanctuaries or in areas that link one protected area to another, to protect habitats and wildlife corridors. The state government declares them after consulting local communities. The category was added by the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002.

Community reserve

Community reserves are created on private or community land, where a community or an individual volunteers to conserve wildlife and its habitat. This category was also added in 2002. Rajasthan has not yet declared a community reserve.

Tiger reserve

Tiger reserves are declared under Chapter IV-B of the Act, on the advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Each has two parts: a core or critical tiger habitat, which is a national park or sanctuary (Section 38V(4)(i)), and a surrounding buffer zone with less strict rules (Section 38V(4)(ii)). The core counts as a protected area; the buffer zone, and the eco-sensitive zones around protected areas, do not.

How many protected areas does Rajasthan have?

According to the Rajasthan Forest Department’s current list (September 2026), Rajasthan has 3 national parks, 26 wildlife sanctuaries, 37 conservation reserves and 5 tiger reserves. The national parks, sanctuaries and conservation reserves together cover about 11,438 km², roughly 3.3% of the state’s 342,239 km².

* Sanctuary area excludes overlaps with national parks and between sanctuaries.
** Tiger reserves are made up of the national parks and sanctuaries above plus buffer zones, so they are not added to the total.

Different sources give different figures. The WII-ENVIS portal, for example, lists 4 national parks and 25 sanctuaries for Rajasthan, while the state government’s environment portal lists 3 and 26. This article uses the Forest Department’s official list.

Despite their names, Desert National Park and Sariska are still legally sanctuaries, because their final notification as national parks is pending. Rajasthan has only three national parks: Ranthambhore, Keoladeo and Mukundara Hills.

The list has changed since July 2023. The Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve was created in October 2023, 16 new conservation reserves were notified between March 2023 and August 2024, and the Ranthambhore and Mukundara Hills tiger reserves were enlarged.

List of protected areas in Rajasthan (2026)

All of Rajasthan’s protected areas are listed below by category. Linked names have a detailed article on this website.

Tiger reserves (5)

National parks (3)

Wildlife sanctuaries (26)

Conservation reserves (37)

Areas under process (8)

These areas are in the process of being declared, or extended, as protected areas.

District names follow the 41-district map in force since December 2024. The Forest Department’s list still records some areas under the former districts of Jaipur Rural, Kekri, Neem Ka Thana, Sanchore and Shahpura; these are shown under their present districts. Areas are rounded to two decimal places. Full notification numbers are on the Forest Department website.

Source

Rajasthan Forest Department, Wildlife Wing: Details of Protected Area (list accessed September 2026).

Cover photo: Dr Dharmendra Khandal

Translated and simplified from the Hindi original (first published February 2021; updated July 2023 and September 2026).