Main natural resources available in the district are  1. Forest  2. Minerals 3. Medicinal plants

Forest

                 The forest in the district is also very peculier in the manner that where one side it is full of Timber Wood Sal , Teak, on the other side it is full of wild  fruit bearing trees which is the lively hood of tribals of the district.

           Dantewada boasts of being the oldest forest type under erstwhile Bastar Circle. Spread over an area of 8362.00 Sq. Km. forests of Dantewada are not only an index on nature's bounty, but also a visitior's delight.             

               Champion & Seth classified these forests in to four groups namely : South Indian Moist Deciduous forests, mainly comprising of teak, Moist Deciduos forests without teak, Mixed forests, subtropical wet hill forests comprising of Bamboo also. It is also worth mentioning here that Sal Forests give way to rich Teak forests here in the district.  

                             For administrative convenience forests of the district have been kept under three Divisions namely - Dantewada, Bijapur & Sukma. The Forests of the district harbour rich fauna in their natural inhabitats. Indravati National Park situated in the western part of the District is the only Project-Tiger-Area in the entire Chattisgarh region, and along with the river Indrawati "Wild Buffaloe" (bos bubalis) fighting its last survival is also found in two Sanctuaries-namely Bharamgarh and pamed. Apart from these two mammals, Pather, Spotted Deer, Wild Bear are also not uncommon in these forests.

                         Main tree spieces of the forests of the district are Teak (tectona grandis) Sal, (shorea robusta) Saj (terminalia tomentosa), Bija (petrocarpus marsupeun), Haldu (adina cardfolia) and Bamboo (dendrocalomons strictus). Their main " minor forest produce" are Tamarind (tamarindus indica), Mahuwa (mahua indica), Kosa (cocoons).

                              click here to see the profile of  medicinal plants

click here to see the mineral resources in the district