Ramsar Sites in India — Complete List of Wetland Reserves

What is the Ramsar Convention? • Full name: Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (called 'Ramsar Convention' after the city of Ramsar, Iran, where it was signed in 1971) • India joined: 1 February 1982 • Purpose: To conserve and sustainably use wetlands, which are among Earth's most productive ecosystems

India's Ramsar Sites — Important Ones for Exams:

First Two Ramsar Sites in India (designated 1981):

1. Chilika Lake — Odisha (largest coastal lagoon in India; migratory birds from Central Asia)
2. Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary — Rajasthan (formerly Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary; UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Other Key Ramsar Sites: 3. Wular Lake — Jammu & Kashmir (one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia) 4. Harike Wetland — Punjab (at confluence of Beas and Sutlej rivers) 5. Sambhar Lake — Rajasthan (India's largest saline lake; migratory birds) 6. Loktak Lake — Manipur (largest freshwater lake in northeast India; floating phumdis — grass islands) 7. Deepor Beel — Assam (important bird area near Guwahati) 8. Bhoj Wetland — Madhya Pradesh (near Bhopal; man-made lakes) 9. Hokera Wetland — Jammu & Kashmir 10. Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary — Tamil Nadu (flamingoes; coastal wetland) 11. Renuka Lake — Himachal Pradesh (smallest Ramsar site in India) 12. Ropar Wetland — Punjab 13. Pong Dam Lake — Himachal Pradesh 14. East Kolkata Wetlands — West Bengal (unique: used for sewage treatment and aquaculture; UNESCO) 15. Surinsar-Mansar Lakes — Jammu & Kashmir 16. Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary — Gujarat 17. Tsomoriri — Ladakh (high-altitude wetland) 18. Sundarban Wetland — West Bengal (part of Sundarbans UNESCO site) 19. Kolleru Lake — Andhra Pradesh 20. Asan Conservation Reserve — Uttarakhand

State with Most Ramsar Sites: Uttar Pradesh (12+ sites, including Nawabganj, Upper Ganga River, etc.)

Total Ramsar Sites in India: 75+ (as of 2024) — highest number in South Asia India ranks 3rd in Asia for number of Ramsar sites.

Why Wetlands Matter:

1. Biodiversity: Wetlands support birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals
2. Water purification: Wetlands filter pollutants and purify water naturally
3. Flood control: They absorb excess water and reduce flood damage
4. Carbon sequestration: Peatlands and marshes store carbon — important for climate
5. Livelihood: Millions of people depend on wetlands for fishing, farming, and water
6. Migratory birds: Indian wetlands host millions of migratory birds from Central Asia, Europe, and Siberia

Threats to Wetlands: • Encroachment and draining for agriculture • Pollution from industrial and domestic waste • Invasive species • Climate change (altered rainfall patterns)

World Wetlands Day: 2 February (date the Ramsar Convention was adopted)