Ramsar Sites

What are the Ramsar sites in India? How can you memorize the names of Indian
wetlands?

A wetland is a place where the land is covered by water. Marshes, ponds, the edge of a lake/ocean, the delta at the mouth of a river, low-lying areas that frequently flood — all of these are wetlands.

Wetlands of international importance are also known as Ramsar sites.

Why wetlands are called ‘Ramsar sites’?

Ramsar is a city in Iran. In 1971, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands was signed at Ramsar. The Convention’s mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”.

More than 2300 wetlands of international importance

• Today, the Ramsar List is the world’s largest network of protected areas.
• There are currently over 2,300 Ramsar Sites around the world. They cover over 2.5 million square kilometres, an area larger than Mexico.
• The world’s first Site was the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia, designated in 1974. The largest Sites are Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Queen Maud Gulf in Canada; these Sites each cover over 60,000 square kilometres.
• The countries with the most Sites are the United Kingdom with 175 and Mexico with 142.
• Bolivia has the largest area with 148,000 km2 under Ramsar protection.

Ramsar Sites (Wetlands) in India: State-wise Compilation

Sl. No.	Wetland Name	State
1.	Kolleru Lake	Andhra Pradesh
2.	Deepor Beel	Assam
3.	Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary	Gujarat
4.	Chandertal Wetland	Himachal Pradesh
5.	Pong Dam Lake	Himachal Pradesh
6.	Renuka Wetland	Himachal Pradesh
7.	Hokera Wetland	Jammu & Kashmir
8.	Surinsar-Mansar Lakes	Jammu & Kashmir
9.	Tsomoriri	Jammu & Kashmir
10.	Wular Lake	Jammu & Kashmir
11.	Ashtamudi Wetland	Kerala
12.	Sasthamkotta Lake	Kerala
13.	Vembanad-Kol Wetland	Kerala
14.	Bhoj Wetland	Madhya Pradesh
15.	Nandur Madhameshwar	Maharashtra
17.	Loktak Lake*	Manipur
18.	Bhitarkanika Mangroves	Orissa
19.	Chilika Lake	Orissa
20.	Harike Lake	Punjab
21.	Kanjli	Punjab
22.	Ropar	Punjab
23.	Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve	Punjab
24.	Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary	Punjab
25.	Beas Conservation Reserve	Punjab
26.	Sambhar Lake	Rajasthan
27.	Keoladeo National Park*	Rajasthan
28.	Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
29.	Rudrasagar Lake	Tripura
30.	Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora Stretch)	Uttar Pradesh
31.	Saman Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
32.	Samaspur Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
33.	Sandi Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
34.	Sarsai Nawar Jheel	Uttar Pradesh
35.	Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
36.	Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
37.	East Calcutta Wetlands	West Bengal
38.	Sundarban Wetland	West Bengal

* – Both sites are included in Montreux Record

Three pillars of the Ramsar Convention

Three pillars of the Ramsar Convention

Under the “three pillars” of the Convention, the Contracting Parties commit to:

1. work towards the wise use of all their wetlands;
2. designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”) and ensure their effective management;
3. cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species.

The Montreux Record

The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.

Interesting facts about Ramsar Convention/Sites

• The number of contracting parties is 171.
• At the time of joining the Convention, each Contracting Party undertakes to designate at least one wetland site for inclusion in the list of Wetlands of International Importance.
• The inclusion of a “Ramsar Site” in the List embodies the government’s commitment to take the steps necessary to ensure that its ecological character is maintained.
• Wetlands included in the List acquire a new national and international status: they are recognized as being of significant value not only for the country or the countries in which they are located but for humanity as a whole.
• There are nine criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance.
• There are six Ramsar regions.
• The 2nd of February each year is World Wetlands Day, marking the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971.
• The Ramsar Sites Information Service (RSIS) is a searchable database which provides information on each Ramsar Site.
• The Ramsar Convention works closely with six other organisations known as International Organization Partners (IOPs). These are:
  • Birdlife International
  • International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
  • International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
  • Wetlands International
  • WWF International
  • Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT)