- Location: Located in the Kutch, Rajkot, Surendranagar, and Patan civil districts of Gujarat, India; situated in the western part of the state and extending from the Gulf of Kutch to the India–Pakistan international border, forming a vast and distinctive desert landscape.
- Biosphere Reserve Status (India): Declared as a Biosphere Reserve by the Government of India in 2008 to conserve its unique saline desert ecosystem, rare wildlife species, and traditional pastoral communities.
- Area: Covers approximately 12,454 km², comprising both the Great Rann of Kachchh (GRK) and the Little Rann of Kachchh (LRK); it is the largest biosphere reserve in India in terms of geographical area.
- Protected Areas Included: Encompasses important protected regions such as the Kachchh Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in the Great Rann and the Wild Ass Sanctuary in the Little Rann, both designated to safeguard desert and wetland biodiversity.
- Banni Grasslands: Includes the Banni Grasslands, spread over nearly 3,847 km², considered one of Asia’s finest tropical grassland ecosystems and crucial for supporting livestock grazing and diverse wildlife.
- Tribe: Inhabited by traditional communities such as the Rabari pastoralists, known for camel herding, livestock rearing, and intricate embroidery craftsmanship that reflects their rich cultural heritage.
- Ecosystem Type: Characterized by a seasonal salt marsh ecosystem with expansive saline desert plains, interspersed wetlands, grasslands, mudflats, and thorn scrub forests that undergo dramatic transformation between monsoon flooding and dry seasons.
- Flora: Vegetation consists mainly of halophytes (salt-tolerant plants), hardy shrubs, grasses, and thorny scrub species adapted to extreme salinity, high temperatures, and arid conditions.
- Fauna: Supports wildlife such as the Indian Wild Ass, Chinkara (Indian gazelle), Indian Wolf, large congregations of flamingos, Great Indian Bustard, desert reptiles, and numerous migratory birds that use the wetlands during winter.
- Flagship Species: The Indian Wild Ass (Ghudkhar) is the flagship species of the reserve, with the Little Rann of Kachchh serving as its last stronghold and most significant habitat in India.