Ramsar Sites in India 2026, State-wise List With the Total of 101 Site

India is home to 101 Ramsar Sites across 28 States and 8 Union Territories, which are recognised for their rich ecological, hydrological, and biodiversity significance.

Recently, on August 03, 2026, India achieved another milestone when the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announced that Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh has been designated as the 101st Ramsar Site of India.

Glaw Lake becomes Arunachal Pradesh’s First Ramsar Site; India’s Ramsar Sites tally reaches 101

According to the PIB, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, announced the designation of Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh as India's 101st Ramsar Site, marking a significant milestone as the state gets its first Ramsar Site. 

Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary as India’s 100th Ramsar site

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, saying that "A century as far as Ramsar sites are concerned!

Glad that the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh has been designated as India’s 100th Ramsar site. This wetland is rich in avifaunal biodiversity, attracting several migratory and resident birds."

Where is Patna Bird Sanctuary Located?

The state and India's smallest bird sanctuary is this one, located in the Jalesar tehsil in the Etah district and is only 1.09 sq km in size having a lake area of 1 sq km. It has fresh water marshes, forests, grasslands and water plants such as water hyacinth, Hydrilla, Potamogeton, Salvinia and Azolla along with agricultural activities.

The location has 178 species of birds, such as endangered Dalmatian Pelican, Oriental Darter, Black-necked Stork, Indian Skimmer, flamingos, common cranes, painted storks, raptors, and spoonbills.

It also has more than 252 species of flora and mammals, including golden jackal, jungle cat, fishing cat, common palm civet, Indian bush rat, rufous-tailed hare and young nilgai. It is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of the BirdLife International, and a crucial wintering place to both Central Asian and Siberian birds.

Where is Chhari-Dhand Wetland Located?

This seasonal saline wetland is a 22,700-hectare wetland in the Kutch district of Gujarat situated between the Banni grasslands and the Great Rann filling up with monsoon run-off by nearby hills and rivers.

The fifth Ramsar site and the first Conservation Reserve in Gujarat since 2008, it hosts 250+ bird species such as sociable lapwing on the brink of extinction, vulnerable common pochard, and 30,000 common cranes per year as well as flamingos, pelicans, and storks.

It has wildlife such as chinkara (Indian gazelle), wolves, caracal, desert cats and desert foxes, which add to its contribution in arid ecosystem resilience.

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. 

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.

Ramsar Sites in India StateWise List 2026

Here is the complte List of Ramsar Sites in India 2026 with updated all the 101 Ramsar sites of India given below in the table:

Interesting facts about Ramsar sites:

1- The Ramsar sites are one of the major protected areas in the world. 

2- In 1974, the world's first Ramsar site was identified (Cobourg Peninsula; Australia). 

3- With 176 Ramsar sites, the United Kingdom has the largest number of such sites in the world. 

4- February 2 is celebrated as the International Wetlands Day. 

5- These sites are maintained in Montreux Record to track any major ecological changes that might affect any of the wetland sites positively or negatively.

Source: Ramsar.org

GK Quiz on Ramsar Wetland Convention 1971 and related updates