Ramsar Sites in India – Ramsar sites are a type of wetlands of international significance that are being conserved and used in a sustainable manner. Wetlands in India are referred to as Ramsar Sites after being designated under the Ramsar Convention. To protect these wetlands, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has strict standards in place. In this article, we are going to discuss all 75 Ramsar Sites in India with the help of the map.
What is a wetland?
Wetlands – That part of the land which is always saturated with water or submerged in water is called wetlands. In other words – “transitional land between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems where water is usually on the surface or land is covered by shallow water”.
Wetlands include swamps, marshes, lakes, lagoons, ponds, deltas, coral reefs, shallow seas, floodplains, etc.
Read Also – State-wise National Parks in India with Map
Types of Wetlands
The following are the different types of wetlands.
- Coastal Wetlands: Coastal wetlands are found in areas between the land and the open ocean that are not affected by rivers like shorelines, beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs. A good example of this is the mangrove swamps found in tropical coastal areas.
- Shallow lakes and ponds: These wetlands are areas of permanent or semi-permanent water with little flow. These include ponds, spring pools, salt lakes, and volcanic crater lakes.
- Marsh: These are water-saturated areas or areas filled with water and are characterized by herbaceous vegetation adapted to wet soil conditions. Marshes are further known as tidal marshes and non-tidal marshes.
- Swamps: These are mainly fed by surface water and trees and shrubs are found here. They are found in freshwater or brackish water floodplains.
- Bogs: Bogs are old lake basins or waterlogged depressions in the ground. Almost all the water in it accumulates during the rains.
- Estuary: Where rivers meet the sea, an extremely rich mix of biodiversity is found. These wetlands include deltas, tidal mudflats, and salt marshes.
Importance of Wetlands
- Wetlands are a very rich place in terms of biodiversity.
- Wetlands provide many important services for people, fish, and wildlife such as protecting and improving water quality, providing habitat for fish and wildlife, storing flood water, maintaining surface water flow during dry periods Retaining and reducing soil erosion.
Ramsar Convention
- Wetlands are shrinking due to increasing urbanization and industrialization around the world, that’s why they are given the status of Ramsar site to save the important wetlands of the world.
- On February 2, 1971, the Ramsar Convention for the Conservation of the World’s Wetlands was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the banks of the Caspian Sea and is known as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
- The name of this agreement is the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat and it was implemented on December 21, 1975.
- World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February to create awareness about the conservation of wetlands.
- Initially, a total of 7 countries were involved in this agreement, but at present the total number of signatories is 171.
- India joined the Ramsar Convention on February 1, 1982.
A meeting of member countries is organized at an interval of every 3 years.
- COP-13 – Dubai, UAE [2018]
- COP-14 – Wuhan, China [2021]
A total of 2424 wetlands have been included in the list of Ramsar sites in the world.
- The United Kingdom has the largest number of Ramsar sites in the world, with 175 of them.
- Bolivia [148000 sq km] has the largest area of Ramsar sites in the country.
- The world’s first Ramsar site is the Cobourg Peninsula, which is the country of Australia. It was first recognized as a Ramsar site in the year 1974.
Ramsar Sites in India
- At present the total number of Ramsar sites in India is 75.
- A total of 28 Ramsar sites were added in India in the year 2022 and in the same year Goa, Karnataka, and Mizoram got the first Ramsar sites.
- India’s first Ramsar sites are Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan, which were given the status of Ramsar sites in the year 1981.
- The highest number of Ramsar sites in India is in Tamil Nadu state, where there are 14 of them.
- The largest Ramsar site in India is the Sundarbans Delta [West Bengal – 4230 sq km].
- The smallest Ramsar site in India is Renuka Wetland [Himachal Pradesh – 0.2 sq km].
Montreux Record
- Wetlands affected by human interference, technological development, and pollution are kept in the Montreux Record. A total of 48 sites in the world are included in this record.
- Keoladeo National Park and Loktak Lake in India are included in the Montreux Record.
State-Wise Ramsar Sites in India
Now we will read about all the Ramsar sites of India state-wise by map.
Ramsar Sites in Tamil Nadu
There are a total of 14 Ramsar sites in the state of Tamil Nadu, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Point Calimere WBS | 2002 |
2. | Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest | 2022 |
3. | Karikali Bird Santuary | 2022 |
4. | Pichavaram Mangrove | 2022 |
5. | Vaduvur Bird Santuary | 2022 |
6. | Suchindram Theroor WC | 2022 |
7. | Chitrangudi Bird Santuary | 2022 |
8. | Kanjirankulam Bird Santuary | 2022 |
9. | Vellode Bird Sanctuary | 2022 |
10. | Udayamarthandapuram BS | 2022 |
11. | Vembannur Wetland | 2022 |
12. | Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary | 2022 |
13. | Gulf of Mannar MBR | 2022 |
14. | Koonthankulam Bird Santuary | 2022 |
All the Ramsar sites in Tamil Nadu state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Uttar Pradesh
There are a total of 10 Ramsar sites in the state of Uttar Pradesh, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Upper Ganga River | 2005 |
2. | Nawabganj Bird Santuary | 2019 |
3. | Sarsai Nawar Jheel | 2019 |
4. | Sandi Bird Sanctuary | 2019 |
5. | Samaspur Bird Sanctuary | 2019 |
6. | Parvati Araga Bird Sanctuary | 2019 |
7. | Saman Bird Sanctuary | 2019 |
8. | Sur Sarovar Lake | 2020 |
9. | Haiderpur wetland | 2021 |
10 | Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary | 2021 |
All the Ramsar sites in Uttar Pradesh state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Punjab
There are a total of 6 Ramsar sites in the state of Punjab, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Harike Wetland | 1990 |
2. | Kanjli Wetland | 2002 |
3. | Ropar Wetland | 2002 |
4. | Beas Conservation Reserve | 2019 |
5. | Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve | 2019 |
6. | Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary | 2019 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Punjab state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Odisha
There are a total of 6 Ramsar sites in the state of Odisha, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Chilika Lake | 1981 |
2. | Bhitarkanika Mangroves | 2002 |
3. | Tampara Lake | 2022 |
4. | Hirakud Reservoir | 2022 |
5. | Ansupa Lake | 2022 |
6. | Satkosia Gorge | 2022 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Odisha state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh
There are a total of 5 Ramsar sites in Jammu and Kashmir and 2 in Ladakh, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Wular Lake | 1990 |
2. | Hokera Wetland | 2005 |
3. | Surisar-Mansar Lakes | 2005 |
4. | Hygan Wetland Conservation Reserve | 2022 |
5. | Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve | 2022 |
Ramsar Sites in Ladakh | ||
1. | Tsomoriri | 2002 |
2. | Tso Kar | 2020 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh Union territory are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Gujarat
There are a total of 4 Ramsar sites in the state of Gujarat, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary | 2012 |
2. | Thol Lake Wildlife | 2021 |
3. | Wadhavana Wetland | 2021 |
4. | Khijadiya Wildlife Sanctuary | 2022 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Gujarat state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Madhya Pradesh
There are a total of 4 Ramsar sites in the state of Madhya Pradesh, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Bhoj Wetland | 2002 |
2. | Sakhya Sagar | 2022 |
3. | Yashwant Sagar | 2022 |
4. | Sirpur Wetland | 2022 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Madhya Pradesh state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Himachal Pradesh
There are a total of 3 Ramsar sites in the state of Himachal Pradesh, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Pong Dam Lake | 2002 |
2. | Chandra Taal | 2005 |
3. | Renuka Lake | 2005 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Himachal Pradesh state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Kerala
There are a total of 3 Ramsar sites in the state of Kerala, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Ashtamudi Wetland | 2002 |
2. | Sasthamkotta Lake | 2002 |
3. | Vembanad-Kol Wetland | 2002 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Kerala state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Maharashtra
There are a total of 3 Ramsar sites in the state of Maharashtra, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Nandur Madhameshwar Lake | 2019 |
2. | Lonar Lake | 2020 |
3. | Thane Creek | 2022 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Maharashtra state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Haryana
There are a total of 2 Ramsar sites in the state of Haryana, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary | 2021 |
2. | Sultanpur National Park | 2021 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Haryana state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Rajasthan
There are a total of 2 Ramsar sites in the state of Rajasthan, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | Keoladeo National Park | 1981 |
2. | Sambhar Lake | 1990 |
All the Ramsar sites in the Rajasthan state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in West Bengal
There are a total of 2 Ramsar sites in the state of West Bengal, whose names are as follows and they are shown in the map.
S.N. | Ramsar Site | Designation Year |
1. | East Kolkata Wetlands | 2002 |
2. | Sundarban Wetland | 2019 |
All the Ramsar sites in the West Bengal state are marked on the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Tripura & Manipur
There are 1-1 Ramsar sites in the states of Tripura and Manipur, their names are Rudrasagar Lake and Loktak Lake respectively and they are shown in the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Andhra Pradesh
There is only 1 Ramsar site in the state of Andhra Pradesh namely Kolleru Lake which is shown in the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Assam
There is only 1 Ramsar site in the state of Assam namely Deepor Beel which is shown in the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Bihar
There is only 1 Ramsar site in the state of Bihar namely Kanwar Tal or Kabartal Lake which is shown in the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Uttarakhand
There is only 1 Ramsar site in the state of Uttarakhand, namely Asan Barrage which is shown in the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Karnataka
There is only 1 Ramsar site in the state of Karnataka namely Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary which is shown in the map below.
Ramsar Sites in Mizoram and Goa
There are 1-1 Ramsar sites in the states of Mizoram and Goa, namely Pala Wetland and Nanda Lake respectively which are shown in the map below.
Ramsar Sites in India GK Questions
Question – At present how many Ramsar sites are there in India?
Answer – As of December 2023, the total number of Ramsar sites in India is 75, and in the year 2022, a maximum of 28 sites have been included in this list.
Question – Which is the first Ramsar site of India?
Answer – In October 1981, Chilka Lake located in Odisha, and Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary located in Rajasthan were recognized as India’s first Ramsar sites.
Question – Which is the largest Ramsar site in India?
Answer – The Sundarbans delta region located in West Bengal is the largest Ramsar site in India. Its total area is about 4230 sq km and it was recognized as a Ramsar site in the year 2019.
Question – Which is the smallest Ramsar site in India?
Answer – The smallest Ramsar site in India is the Renuka wetland area located in Himachal Pradesh. Its total area is 0.2 sq km. It was declared a Ramsar site in the year 2005.
Question – In which state is the maximum number of Ramsar sites located in India?
Answer – Most of the Ramsar sites in India are in the state of Tamil Nadu. Presently there are 14 wetland areas in Tamil Nadu.
Question – In the year 2022, how many wetlands have been given the status of Ramsar sites in India?
Answer – Under the Ramsar Convention, in the year 2022, 28 new wetlands in India were given the status of Ramsar sites. 10 wetlands were included in the list of Ramsar sites of India on 3 August 2022 and 11 wetlands on 13 August 2022.
Question – In which year the Ramsar Convention was organized and signed?
Answer – The Ramsar Convention was organized on February 2, 1971, in the Ramsar city of Iran, located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, and was implemented on December 21, 1975.
Question – In which year did India sign the Ramsar Convention?
Answer – India officially joined the Ramsar Convention on February 1, 1982.
Question – Which was declared as the world’s first Ramsar site?
Answer – The Cobourg Peninsula in Australia was declared the world’s first Ramsar site in 1974.
Question – Which country has the largest number of Ramsar sites in the world?
Answer – The world’s largest number of Ramsar sites is in the United Kingdom, where their total number is 175.
In this way, we have read about wetlands, their importance, the Ramsar Convention, and all 75 Ramsar sites in India through the map, so if you liked this post then definitely share it with your friends.