India Protected Areas
This layer maps India's officially designated protected areas, including national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
Category: Transition risks · Sensitive areas · Protected areas Coverage: Country (India) Format: Boundary polygons Used in risk analysis: Yes — gates Sensitive areas
What it shows
This layer maps India's officially designated protected areas, including national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. It matters because activity inside or near these areas can affect legally protected habitats and the species they conserve, and such overlaps are central to biodiversity-sensitive-area screening.
How it is built
The protected-area boundaries are compiled from OpenStreetMap data together with listings from ENVIS (India's Environmental Information System). The result is a set of mapped polygons delineating designated national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country.
How to read it
This is a boundary layer. A site that intersects, or lies close to, one of the protected-area polygons should be flagged, as it may fall within or adjacent to a legally protected area. The relevant consideration is whether the site overlaps a designated park or sanctuary.
Source
OpenStreetMap and ENVIS — India's designated protected areas.
Comparison with the WWF Risk Filter Suite
This layer maps to WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter indicator S14_1 Protected / Conserved Areas. WWF relies on the global World Database on Protected Areas (UNEP-WCMC, accessed via IBAT); Darwin instead assembles national datasets that can extend or localise that coverage for India.
Risk analysis
A site is flagged on a dimension by combining a proximity trigger (this layer) with an activity trigger (the entity's ENCORE pressure/service). Proximity only → Potentially material; proximity and the matching ENCORE pressure/service is material → Very material; neither → Not material.
| Dimension | ENCORE service / pressure | Proximity trigger (this layer) | Activity trigger (entity) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitive areas | Sensitive area disturbance | Site overlaps / is near the feature | impact ratio ≥ 10%; “Disturbances (e.g noise, light)” pressure ≥ 4; “Introduction of invasive species” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of freshwater use” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of seabed use” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of land use” pressure ≥ 4; “Other biotic resource extraction (e.g. fish, timber)” pressure ≥ 4; “Volume of water use” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of non-GHG air pollutants” pressure ≥ 4; “Generation and release of solid waste” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of toxic soil and water pollutants” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of nutrient soil and water pollutants” pressure ≥ 4 |
Generated from darwin/layers/layer-india-protected-areas.toml and risk_indicator_pairs.toml (develop).