List of Ramsar Sites In India (Ramsar Convention)

List of Ramsar Sites In India: In accordance with the Ramsar Convention, a Ramsar Site is a wetland site that has been recognized as being of international significance. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, often known as the Ramsar Convention, is an international environmental convention that was created in 1971 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and entered into effect in 1975. Specifically, it calls for governmental action and international effort in the protection of wetlands, as well as the smart and efficient use of the resources they contain. Ramsar wetlands are designated as being of international significance, particularly those that provide habitat for waterfowl. The Ramsar Convention presently protects 254,603,549 hectares (629,139,070 acres) in 2424 sites across the globe as of July 2021, with 171 national governments taking part as of that date. Check here for details of Ramsar Sites In India.

List of Ramsar Sites in India

S.no. Name of the Ramsar Site State Classified Date
01 Chilika Lake Odisha 1st October 1981
02 Keoladeo National Park Bharatpur, Rajasthan 1st October 1981
03 Harike Wetland Punjab 23rd March 1990
04 Loktak Lake Bishnupur, Manipur 23rd March 1990
05 Sambhar Lake Rajasthan 23rd March 1990
06 Wular Lake Jammu and Kashmir 23rd March 1990
07 Ropar Wetland Ropar, Punjab 22nd January 2002
08 Kanjli Wetland Kapurthala District, Punjab 22nd  January 2002
09 Ashtamudi Wetland Kollam District, Kerala 19th August 2002
10 Bhitarkanika Mangroves Odisha 19th August 2002
11 Bhoj Wetland Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 19th August 2002
12 Deepor Beel Guwahati, Assam 19th August 2002
13 East Kolkata Wetland Kolkata West, Bengal 19th August 2002
14 Kolleru Lake Andhra Pradesh 19th August 2002
15 Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu 19th August 2002
16 Pong Dam Lake Kangra, Himachal Pradesh 19th August 2002
17 Sasthamkotta Lake Kollam, Kerala 19th August 2002
18 Tsomoriri Ladakh 19th August 2002
19 Vembanad – Kol Wetland Kerala 19th August 2002
20 Chandra Taal Lahul, Himachal Pradesh 8th November 2005
21 Hokera Wetland Zainakote, Jammu, and Kashmir 8th November 2005
22 Renuka Lake Simaur, Himachal Pradesh 8th November 2005
23 Rudrasagar Lake Melaghar, Tripura 8th November 2005
24 Surinsar – Manisar Lake Jammu and Kashmir 8th November 2005
25 Upper Ganga River

(Brijghat to Narora)

Uttar Pradesh 8th November 2005
26 Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary Ahmedabad, Gujarat 24th September 2012
27 Sunderban Wetland West Bengal 1st February 2019
28 Nandur Madhameshwar Nasik, Maharashtra 21st June 2019
29 Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary Unnao, Uttar Pradesh 19th September 2019
30 Sarsai Nawar Jheel Etawah, Uttar Pradesh 19th September 2019
31 Sandi Bird Sanctuary Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh 26th September 2019
32 Keshopur Miani Community Reserve Punjab 26th September 2019
33 Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary Nangal, Punjab 26th September 2019
34 Beas Conservation Reserve Beas District, Punjab 29th September 2019
35 Samaspur Bird Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh 3rd October 2019
36 Parvati Arg Bird Sanctuary Gonda Uttar Pradesh 2nd December 2019
37 Saman Bird Sanctuary Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh 2nd December 2019
38 Asan Barrage Uttarakhand 21st July 2020
39 Kanwar Taal or Kabar Taal Lake Begusarai, Bihar 21st July 2020
40 Sur Sarovar Agra, Uttar Pradesh 13th November 2020
41 Lonar Lake Buldhana, Maharashtra 13th November 2020
42 Tso Kar Leh, Ladakh 17th November 2020
43 Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary Haryana 14th August 2021
44 Sultanpur National Park Haryana 14th August 2021
45 Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary Gujarat 14th August 2021
46 Wadhvana Wetland Gujarat 14th August 2021

Criteria for Classification of Wetlands as Ramsar Sites

If any of the following nine characteristics apply to a wetland, it may be deemed globally significant:

  • It includes a significant, uncommon, or limited perspective of a natural or near-natural wetland type located within the relevant biogeographic area.
  • It sustains fragile, extinct, or severely endangered species or damaged natural ecosystems.
  • It maintains groups of botanical and/or species of animals essential for sustaining the ecological variety of a specific biogeographic area.
  • It nourishes the plant and/or animal species at a crucial point in their life phases, or offers refuge under unfavorable circumstances.
  • It routinely sustains 20,000 or more waterbirds.
  • It consistently maintains 1% of the individuals of the same species within one species or subtype of waterbird.
  • It sustains a substantial percentage of native fish subspecies, species or groups, phases of life, species interconnections, and/or communities that are indicative of wetland functions and/or values, and therefore makes a significant contribution to world biodiversity.
  • It is a significant supply of nutrition for fishes, spawning sites, nurseries, and/or migratory routes on which fish populations, both inside the wetland and abroad, rely.
  • It consistently maintains 1% of the inhabitants in a community among one species or subtype of wetland-dependent not related to birds, animal species.

Protection and Preservation of the Sites

According to Article 3.1 of the Convention, Contracting Parties are designed to preserve their Ramsar Sites in such a way that they sustain their ecological identity and preserve their vital functions and principles for coming generations, as well as promote the sensible use of all waterways on their jurisdiction.

Resolutions 5.7 and VIII.14 called for the action plan for all Ramsar Sites, as well as funding and assistance for execution and training sessions, as well as a surveillance scheme including signals on the Site’s ecological status. The appropriate protection and administration of the Ramsar Site Network were designated as among the three strategic objectives of the Fourth Convention Strategic Plan for 2016-2024 by the Contracting Parties in 2015. The Framework asks for measures to allow stakeholders, such as native peoples and regional groups, to participate.

The Ramsar Sites management toolkit offers staff easy-to-understand instructions on the essential stages and elements of administering a Ramsar Site. It also detects and connects to additional in-depth data. Numerous Ramsar Sites are also safeguarded by federal or local programs, including the Natura 2000 network of the European Union. The UNESCO World Heritage Convention has placed some of them on the World Heritage Sites. Another is UNESCO Biosphere Reserves or are located inside them.

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