Ramsar Wetland Sites
Forest & Wildlife · रामसर आर्द्रभूमि स्थल · 18 facts
Ramsar Convention: International treaty on wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran on February 2, 1971; India acceded in 1982.
World Wetlands Day: February 2, marking the signing of Ramsar Convention; themes vary each year.
India's Ramsar sites: 75 Ramsar sites (as of 2022), highest number in South Asia and among the highest in the world; total area ~1.3 million hectares.
First Indian Ramsar sites (1981): Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo Ghana (Bharatpur, Rajasthan) — both designated on October 1, 1981.
Chilika Lake (Odisha): India's largest brackish water coastal lagoon; 1100 sq km; home to Irrawaddy dolphins, flamingos, migratory birds; first Indian Ramsar site.
Largest Indian Ramsar Site: Sundarbans (West Bengal) — 4230 sq km; largest mangrove forest; UNESCO World Heritage Site; delta of Ganga-Brahmaputra.
Wular Lake (J&K): Largest freshwater lake in India; Ramsar site; fed by Jhelum river; important for fisheries.
Loktak Lake (Manipur): Largest freshwater lake in NE India; famous for Phumdis (floating vegetation); Keibul Lamjao NP is on Phumdis (world's only floating NP).
Harike Wetland (Punjab): Largest wetland in northwest India; confluence of Beas and Sutlej rivers; Ramsar site; important for water birds.
Kolleru Lake (Andhra Pradesh): Ramsar site; freshwater lake; largest freshwater lake in south India; between Krishna and Godavari rivers.
Point Calimere (Tamil Nadu): Ramsar site; important bird area; home to flamingos and migratory birds; part of Palk Bay ecosystem.
Bhoj Wetland (Madhya Pradesh): Ramsar site; Bhopal's twin lakes (Upper and Lower Lake); important for water supply and birds.
Asthamudi Wetland (Kerala): Ramsar site; Kerala Backwaters; important mangrove ecosystem; Kollam district; tourism and fisheries hub.
Kabartal/Kanwar Lake (Bihar): First Ramsar site of Bihar (2020); large freshwater lake in Begusarai; important for migratory birds like lesser adjutant stork.
Deepor Beel (Assam): Ramsar site; freshwater lake and wetland; on outskirts of Guwahati; elephants come to feed; important biodiversity hotspot.
Montreux Record: List of Ramsar sites where ecological character has changed; India removed Keoladeo Ghana (2011) and Chilika (2002) after successful restoration.
Wetland definition (Ramsar): Areas of marsh, fen, peatland, water whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with static or flowing water (fresh, brackish, salt).
India added 5 new Ramsar sites in 2022 on World Wetlands Day: Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary (Gujarat), Bakhira WLS (UP), Haiderpur WLS (UP), Sultanpur NP (Haryana), Bhindawas WLS (Haryana).