Recently 4 new wetland sites have been added to the list of Ramsar Wetlands by the convention. These are situated in Haryana and Gujarat in India. The two from Haryana are Bhindawas WildLife Sanctuary and Sultanpur National Park. The other two are from Gujarat namely Thol Lake Wild Life Sanctuary and Wadhvana Wetland.
It is a matter of pride for us that four Indian sites get Ramsar recognition. This once again manifests India's centuries old ethos of preserving natural habitats, working towards flora and fauna protection, and building a greener planet. https://t.co/ARKemkU4rj pic.twitter.com/Ibyni7X9vB
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 14, 2021
In January 2020, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India announced the addition of country's 10 more wetlands in the list of Ramsar sites.
With this addition, the Indian State of Maharashtra got its first Ramsar site, Punjab got 3 more Ramsar sites and Uttar Pradesh got 6 more Ramsar sites.
In October 2020, two more Indian wetlands-- Kabartal Wetland (Bihar) and Asan Conservation Reserve (Uttarakhand)-- were added to the list of Ramsar sites.
In November 2020, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar announced the addition of two more wetlands of India to the list of Ramsar sites. With this announcement, Lonar lake in Maharashtra and Sur Sarovar, also known as Keetham lake, in Agra were added to the list.
In December 2020, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar announced the addition of one more wetland of India to the list of Ramsar sites. With this announcement, Tso Kar Wetland in Ladakh was added to the list.
Happy to share that high-altitude wetland complex in Changthang region of #Ladakh is recognized as wetland of international importance. The complex is a notable example of two connected lakes, the freshwater Startsapuk Tso & the hypersaline Tso Kar.
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) December 24, 2020
Now, India has 42 Ramsar sites pic.twitter.com/FMGAKxjqof
What is known as a Ramsar site?
Any wetland site which is listed under the Ramsar Convention that intends to preserve it and advance sustainable utilization of its natural resources is known as a Ramsar Site.
On 2 February 1971, the International Treaty for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wetlands was signed at a city of Iran called Ramsar, hence the name Ramsar Sites.
List of Ramsar sites in India
| No. | Ramsar Site | State/Union Territory |
| 1 | Chilika Lake | Odisha |
| 2 | Keoladeo National Park | Rajasthan |
| 3 | Harike Lake | Punjab |
| 4 | Loktak Lake | Manipur |
| 5 | Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan |
| 6 | Wular Lake | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 7 | Hokera Wetland | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 8 | Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 9 | Shallabugh Wetland | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 10 | Mansar-Surinsar Wildlife Sanctuary | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 11 | Pong Dam Lake | Himachal Pradesh |
| 12 | Chandra Taal | Himachal Pradesh |
| 13 | Renuka Wetland | Himachal Pradesh |
| 14 | Seibul Taal | Uttar Pradesh |
| 15 | Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh |
| 16 | Saman Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh |
| 17 | Samaspur Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh |
| 18 | Sandi Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh |
| 19 | Sarsai Nawar Jheel | Uttar Pradesh |
| 20 | Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh |
| 21 | Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh |
| 22 | Soor Sarovar | Uttar Pradesh |
| 23 | Asan Conservation Reserve | Uttarakhand |
| 24 | Asthamudi Wetland | Kerala |
| 25 | Ashtamudi Estuary | Kerala |
| 26 | Sasthamkotta Lake | Kerala |
| 27 | Vembanad-Kol Wetland | Kerala |
| 28 | Kolleru Lake | Andhra Pradesh |
| 29 | Pulicat Lake | Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu |
| 30 | Uppalapadu Nature Conservation Area | Andhra Pradesh |
| 31 | Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh |
| 32 | Coringa Mangroves | Andhra Pradesh |
| 33 | Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh |
| 34 | Karikili Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu |
| 35 | Pallikaranai Marsh | Tamil Nadu |
| 36 | Pichavaram Mangrove | Tamil Nadu |
| 37 | Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu |
| 38 | Vellode Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu |
| 39 | Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu |
| 40 | Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve | Tamil Nadu |
| 41 | Vembannur Wetland Complex | Tamil Nadu |
| 42 | Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu |
| 43 | Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu |
| 44 | Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu |
| 45 | Bhitarkanika Mangroves | Odisha |
| 46 | Chilika Lake | Odisha |
| 47 | Deepor Beel | Assam |
| 48 | East Calcutta Wetlands | West Bengal |
| 49 | Sundarbans Wetland | West Bengal |
| 50 | Nandur Madhameshwar | Maharashtra |
| 51 | Thane Creek | Maharashtra |
| 52 | Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary | Gujarat |
| 53 | Pariej Lake | Gujarat |
| 54 | Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary | Gujarat |
| 55 | Wadhwana Wetland | Gujarat |
| 56 | Nani Pandrol Wetland | Gujarat |
| 57 | Chhad Beed | Gujarat |
| 58 | Dasada Wetland | Gujarat |
| 59 | Porbandar Bird Sanctuary | Gujarat |
| 60 | Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary | Gujarat |
| 61 | Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary | Gujarat |
| 62 | Wadhvana Wetland | Gujarat |
| 63 | Beas Conservation Reserve | Punjab |
| 64 | Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve | Punjab |
| 65 | Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary | Punjab |
| 66 | Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka |
| 67 | Kokkarebellur Peafowl Conservation Reserve | Karnataka |
| 68 | Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka |
| 69 | Bonal Wetland | Karnataka |
| 70 | Heggeri Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka |
| 71 | Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve | Karnataka |
| 72 | Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve | Karnataka |
| 73 | Aghanashini Estuary | Karnataka |
| 74 | Nagi Bird Sanctuary | Bihar |
| 75 | Nakti Bird Sanctuary | Bihar |
| 76 | Tawa Reservoir | Madhya Pradesh |
| 77 | Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary | Haryana |
| 78 | Sultanpur National Park | Haryana |
| 79 | Bhoj Wetlands | Madhya Pradesh |
| 80 | Pala Wetlands | Madhya Pradesh |
| 81 | Saman Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh |
| 82 | Sarsai Nawar Jheel | Uttar Pradesh |
| 83 | Tso Kar Wetland Complex | Ladakh |
| 84 | Kolleru Lake | Andhra Pradesh |
| 85 | Vembanad-Kol Wetland | Kerala |
| Do you know? 1- There are 42 Ramsar sites in India with a surface area of 1,081,438 hectares (as of December 2020). 2- Chilika Lake is the largest Ramsar Site of India with a surface area of 1,16,500 hectares. 3- Chilika Lake (Orissa) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) were recognized as the first Ramsar Sites of India. 4- Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of Ramsar Sites in India with 8 Indian Wetlands. 5- Renuka Wetland in Himachal Pradesh is the smallest wetland of India a surface area of 20 hectares. |
Interesting facts about Ramsar sites:
1- The Ramsar sites are one of the major protected areas in the world.
2- There are 2,414 Ramsar sites in the world, covering 254,543,971.597 hectares area.
3- In 1974, the world's first Ramsar site was identified (Cobourg Peninsula; Australia).
4- With 175 Ramsar sites, the United Kingdom has the largest number of such sites in the world.
5- February 2 is celebrated as the International Wetlands Day.
6- These sites are maintained in Montreux Record to track any major ecological changes that might affect any of the wetland sites positively or negatively.
| Wetlands As per the Ramsar Convention, Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. For example, marine and coastal areas; Estuaries; Lakes and rivers; Marshes and peatlands; Groundwater and human-made wetlands such as rice paddies, shrimp ponds, and reservoirs. |
Source: Ramsar.org
GK Quiz on Ramsar Wetland Convention 1971 and related updates
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