RAMSAR SITES IN INDIA
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.
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 Convention
1- Ramsar Convention or the Convention of Wetlands was established in 1971 by UNESCO and came into force in the year 1975.
2- There are 171 contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention.
3- India signed the Ramsar Convention on 1 February 1982.
4- It works in three languages: English, Spanish and French.
Timeline of Ramsar Convention:
1962: MAR Conference called for an International Treaty for Wetlands.
1963-1970: Text was negotiated.
1971: Ramsar Conference was held where 18 nations agreed to Convention on Wetlands of International importance.
1974: The Cobourg Peninsula in Australia was declared the first Ramsar site in the world.
1975: Ramsar convention came into force.
1981: Indian became the contracting party to the Ramsar Convention with Chilika Lake and Keoladeo National Park as first Ramsar sites of India.
List of Ramsar sites in India
Ramsar Sites of India Location
- Ashtamudi Wetland ---------------------------Kerala
- Beas Conservation Reserve -----------------------------Punjab
- Bhitarkanika Mangroves --------------------------------Odisha
- Bhoj Wetlands ----------------------------------Madhya Pradesh
- Chandra Taal ------------------------------------Himachal Pradesh
- Chilika Lake ------------------------------Odisha
- Deepor Beel ---------------------------------Assam
- East Kolkata Wetlands -------------------------West Bengal
- Harike Wetlands ---------------------------Punjab
- Hokera Wetland -----------------------------Jammu and Kashmir
- Kanjli Wetland --------------------------Punjab
- Keoladeo National Park ----------------------------Rajasthan
- Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve -----------------------Punjab
- Kolleru Lake -----------------------------------Andhra Pradesh
- Loktak Lake ------------------------------------Manipur
- Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary -----------------------------------Gujarat
- Nandur Madhameshwar -----------------------------------Maharashtra
- Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary ----------------------------------Punjab
- Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary -----------------------------------Uttar Pradesh
- Parvati Agra Bird Sanctuary ----------------------------------Uttar Pradesh
- Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary ------------------Tamil Nadu
- Pong Dam Lake---------------------------------------------------- Himachal Pradesh
- Renuka Lake ------------------------------------------------------Himachal Pradesh
- Ropar Wetland ------------------------------------------------Punjab
- Rudrasagar Lake ------------------------------------------------Tripura
- Saman Bird Sanctuary ------------------------------------------Uttar Pradesh
- Samaspur Bird Sanctuary ------------------------------------Uttar Pradesh
- Sambhar Lake ------------------------------------------------------Rajasthan
- Sandi Bird Sanctuary ------------------------------------------Uttar Pradesh
- Sarsai Nawar Jheel ------------------------------------------------Uttar Pradesh
- Sasthamkotta Lake ------------------------------------------------Kerala
- Surinsar- Mansar Lakes ------------------------------------------Jammu and Kashmir
- Tsomoriri ------------------------------------------------------Jammu and Kashmir
- Upper Ganga River ------------------------------------------------Uttar Pradesh
- Vembanad Kol Wetland ------------------------------------------Kerala
- Wular Lake ------------------------------------------------------Jammu and Kashmir
- Sunderban Wetland ------------------------------------------------West Bengal
Do you know?
1- There are 37 Ramsar sites in India with a surface area of 1,067,939 hectares.
2- Chilika Lake is the largest Ramsar Site of India.
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 7 Indian Wetlands.
5- Renuka Wetland in Himachal Pradesh is the smallest wetland of India.
Interesting facts about Ramsar sites:
1- The Ramsar sites are one of the major protected areas in the world.
2- More than 2300 Ramsar sites are there in the world, covering 2.1 million sq. kilometres.
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.
