Ramsar sites in India

 What is RAMSAR Wetland convention?

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. 

What are wetlands? 

Wetlands are land flooded with water either permanently or seasonally inhabiting various organisms contributing to the ecosystem.

Click to know more on Ramsar sites in India

 

RAMSAR WETLANDS SITES (As on December, 2020)

 

 

Sl. No.	Name of Site	State Location	Date of Declaration	Area  (in Sq. km.)
1	Asan Conservation Reserve	Uttarakhand	21.7.2020	4.444
2	Asthamudi Wetland	Kerala	19.8.2002	614
3	Beas Conservation Reserve	Punjab	26.9.2019	64.289
4	Bhitarkanika Mangroves	Orissa	19.8.2002	650
5	Bhoj Wetlands	Madhya Pradesh	19.8.2002	32.01
6	Chandertal Wetland	Himachal Pradesh	8.11.2005	0.49
7	Chilka Lake	Orissa	1.10.1981	1165
8	Deepor Beel	Assam	19.8.2002	40
9	East Kolkata Wetlands	West Bengal	19.8.2002	125
10	Harike Lake (The only Artificial/Man-made wetland of India)	Punjab	23.3.1990	41
11	Hokera Wetland	Jammu and Kashmir	8.11.2005	13.75
12	Kabartal Wetland	Bihar	21.07.2020	26.20
13	Kanjli Lake	Punjab	22.1.2002	1.83
14	Keoladeo Ghana NP	Rajasthan	1.10.1981	28.73
15	Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve	Punjab	26.9.2019	3.439
16	Kolleru Lake	Andhra Pradesh	19.8.2002	901
17	Loktak Lake	Manipur	23.3.1990	266
18	Lonar Lake	Maharashtra	22.7.2020	4.27
19	Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary	Gujarat	24.09.2012	120
20	Nandur Madhameshwar	Maharashtra	21.6.2019	14.37
21	Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary	Punjab	26.9.2019	1.16
22	Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	19.9.2019	2.246
23	Parvati Agra Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	2.12.2019	7.22
24	Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	19.8.2002	385
25	Pong Dam Lake	Himachal Pradesh	19.8.2002	156.62
26	Renuka Wetland (Smallest Wetland of  India)	Himachal Pradesh	8.11.2005	0.2
27	Ropar Lake	Punjab	22.1.2002	13.65
28	Rudrasagar Lake	Tripura	8.11.2005	2.4
29	Saman Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	2.12.2019	52.63
30	Samaspur Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	3.10.2019	79.94
31	Sambhar Lake	Rajasthan	23.3.1990	240
32	Sandi Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	26.9.2019	30.85
33	Sarsai Nawar Jheel	Uttar Pradesh	19.9.2019	16.13
34	Sasthamkotta Lake	Kerala	19.8.2002	3.73
35	Sunderbans Wetland (Largest Wetland of India)	West Bengal	30.1.2019	4230
36	Surinsar-Mansar Lakes	Jammu and Kashmir	8.11.2005	3.5
37	Sur Sarovar Or Kitham lake	Uttar Pradesh	21.8.2020	4.31
38	Tso Kar Wetland Complex	Ladakh	17.11.2020	95.77
39	Tsomoriri Lake	Jammu and Kashmir	19.8.2002	120
40	Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora Stretch)	Uttar Pradesh	8.11.2005	265.9
41	Vembanad Kol Wetland	Kerala	19.8.2002	1512.5
42	Wular Lake	Jammu & Kashmir	23.3.1990	189

 

 

  (Source:  Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India)

Important Notes:-

✓Ramsar Convention is known as the Convention of Wetlands. It was established in 1971 by UNESCO and came into force in 1975.

✓World Wetlands Day is observed every year on the 2nd of February because  the Ramsar convention was held on 2nd of February 1971 in Iran at a place called Ramsar to spread awareness on the need to conserve wetlands all over the world. The WWD was first celebrated in 1997.

✓India is a party to the Ramsar Convention. India signed under it on 1st February 1982.

✓Maximum number of ramsar sites are in Uttar Pradesh comprising 8 Ramsar sites.

✓15 New Ramsar sites added in India in 2020,and became total 42 in number.

✓Cobourg Peninsula of Australia was the first Ramsar site included in 1974.

✓United Kingdom has the highest number of Ramsar sites(175).

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Map of RAMSAR Wetland Sites in India (As on December, 2020)