The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR) is a protected area and a concept for sustainable development, established in 2001 by the Government of India, spanning 3,500.36 sq. km across the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the southern Western Ghats. The reserve was created to conserve the region's rich biodiversity, which includes tropical wet evergreen forests and montane rainforests, and to protect the traditional life of the indigenous people. It is a unique genetic reservoir, home to over 2,000 varieties of medicinal plants and a habitat for endangered species like the Asian elephant and Nilgiri tahr.
The ABR is a key component of the global conservation effort, having been included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2016 under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. The MAB Programme provides the mechanism for the ABR, which is structured into three zones: a strictly protected Core Zone for conservation, a Buffer Zone where activities like research and environmental education are permitted, and a Transition Zone allowing for sustainable economic and human activities. The reserve encompasses several existing protected areas, including the Shendurney, Peppara, and Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuaries in Kerala, and the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. It is also home to the Kanikaran tribe, one of the world's oldest surviving tribes, whose traditional knowledge is integral to the reserve's cultural significance.
A significant recent development occurred in May 2026, when the Supreme Court of India ordered the immediate removal of encroachers and demolition of illegal structures within the ecologically sensitive Agasthyamalai landscape. This judgment, delivered by a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, directed a time-bound eviction plan and initiated disciplinary action against government servants found to be encroachers, underscoring the constitutional obligation to protect this fragile ecosystem.