List of Ramsar sites in India and their importance

In June this year, India celebrated World Environment Day by adding two new Ramsar sites to its list, bringing the total to 82. Ramsar sites are internationally recognized wetlands under a convention signed in 1971.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change announced the new sites on January 31 in the presence of the Ramsar Convention's secretary general, Musonda Mumba. These additions increase the total Ramsar site area in India to 1.33 million hectares.

Ramsar sites are important for wetland conservation because they are part of the world's largest network of protected areas and are protected under strict guidelines. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which came into force in 1975, identifies wetlands of international importance and provides a framework for their conservation and sustainable use. Countries that designate a wetland as a Ramsar site agree to establish and oversee management to maintain the wetland's ecological character and ensure its wise use. 

Wetlands are essential and intricate features of nature, offering a wide range of functions, including supplying household drinking water, supporting agriculture, controlling erosion and floods, stabilizing weather, providing groundwater sources, purifying water, and detoxifying the environment. Despite their importance, wetlands worldwide face numerous challenges, such as loss of area, pollution from industrialization, desertification, and a lack of awareness among local communities about their significance, which indirectly contributes to their degradation.

India ranks first among South Asian countries and third in Asia, after Japan and China, in terms of the total geographical area designated as wetlands. 

List of newly designated Ramsar Sites

Sl. No.	Name of Ramsar Site	State	Total area in ha
1	Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve	Karnataka	98.76
2	Aghanashini Estuary	Karnataka	4801
3	Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve	Karnataka	54.38
4	Karaivetti Bird sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	453.72
5	Longwood Shola Reserve Forest	Tamil Nadu	116.007
			5,523.867

Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve

Centuries ago, people created the Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, a human-made village irrigation tank spanning 98.76 hectares (244.04 acres) near Ankasamudra village.

This vital wetland is rich in biodiversity, hosting over 210 plant species, 8 mammal species, 25 reptile species, 240 bird species, 41 fish species, 3 frog species, 27 butterfly species, and 32 dragonfly species.

With more than 30,000 waterbirds using it for nesting and roosting, the reserve plays a crucial role in supporting over 1% of the biogeographic population of Painted Storks and Black-headed Ibises, making it an ecologically significant area.

Aghanashini Estuary

The Aghanashini Estuary, covering 4801 hectares, is where the Aghanashini River meets the Arabian Sea. This estuary’s brackish water offers a range of ecosystem services, such as reducing flood and erosion risks, conserving biodiversity, and supporting livelihoods.

The wetland benefits 6000-7500 families, aiding in fishing, farming, bivalve and crab collection, shrimp farming, traditional fish farming in local Gazni rice fields, shell collection, and salt production. The surrounding mangroves shield the coast from storms and cyclones.

Regularly, the estuary hosts over 43,000 individuals from more than 66 waterbird species, including over 1% of the biogeographic population of 15 waterbird species like the river tern, Asian darter, lesser black-backed gull, woolly-necked stork, and Eurasian oystercatcher.

Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve

Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve is a human-made wetland, about 50 hectares in size, created to collect rainwater for irrigation. It’s a haven for over 166 bird species, with 130 being migratory.

The wetland is home to two vulnerable species - the Common Pochard and River Tern, and four near-threatened species - the Asian Darter, Black-headed Ibis, Woolly-necked Stork, and Painted Stork. During winter, nearly 8,000 birds visit the site.

Magadi Kere is also a major wintering ground for the Bar-headed Goose in Southern India. Recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA), it’s also listed as a priority conservation area in India.

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary

The Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary, covering 453.72 hectares, is one of Tamil Nadu’s largest inland wetlands and plays a crucial role in recharging the area’s groundwater. The wetland’s water is used by locals for growing crops like paddy, sugar cane, cotton, corn, and split red gram.

The sanctuary is a major gathering spot for waterbirds in Tamil Nadu, with around 198 bird species recorded. Notable visitors include the Bar-headed Goose, Pin-tailed Duck, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, and Cotton Teal.

Longwood Shola Reserve Forest

The Longwood Shola Reserve Forest, which derives its name from the Tamil word “Solai” meaning ‘tropical rain forest’, lies in the highlands of Nilgiris, Anamalais, Palni hills, Kalakadu, Mundanthurai, and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

Globally endangered species such as the Black-chinned Nilgiri Laughing thrush and Nilgiri Blue Robin, along with the vulnerable Nilgiri Wood-pigeon, inhabit these forested wetlands. Impressively, these wetlands host more than half of the endemic bird species of the Western Ghats.

What led to the Ramsar convention?

Ramsar, a city in Iran, convened a first-of-its-kind meeting in response to rising issues of the destruction of wetlands around the globe. The destruction of wetlands impacted both humans and the biodiversity, primarily waterbirds. This convention was developed in 1960 but it took another 11 years to formalise the convention's text, which in turn was opened for signature in the town of Ramsar in 1971.

The Convention is implemented through the three “pillars” of its strategic plan:

• The wise use of all wetlands,
• The designation and management of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites), and
• International cooperation – including on shared wetlands, river basins, and populations of migratory waterbirds.  

India signed up for this convention in 1981 and registered the Chilika Lake in Odisha and the Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan as its Ramsar sites.

Between 1982-2013, a total of 26 sites were added to this list. From 2014-2022 the country has added 49 new wetlands to this list as per the data released by PIB.

For more wetlands to be listed as Ramsar sites

Recently, the news of Bengaluru which is facing the worst of its kind flood situation has been making headlines in the country. People cannot digest that an urban city like Bengaluru is facing such a tragedy. Unplanned and unsustainable urbanization leads to these consequences.

An NGO named Wetlands International South Asia (WISA) reported that in the past three decades, India has lost over 30% of its Natural Wetlands. The major reasons were unsustainable urbanization, agricultural expansion, illegal construction, and pollution.

It is further estimated that almost 90 % of Chennai’s wetlands are lost, mostly because of unplanned urbanization. Vadodara lost 30.5 % of its wetlands between 2005 and 2018. Due to inadequate waste management, growing pollution, and unregulated urban growth, Hyderabad lost 55% of its wetlands. Mumbai too has lost 71% of its wetlands, while Ahmedabad has lost 57%, Bengaluru 56%, Pune 37%, and Delhi-National Capital Region 38%, leaving the cities with the challenge of dealing with water security and environmental deterioration

It is a well-known fact that roads, complexes, and any construction that takes place will significantly reduce the ground cover. The increase in the land covered by concrete and other building materials which cease the flow of rainwater into the ground and restricts it above the roads. Thereby, causing water logging on the roads or mini floods which is the case similar to that of Bangalore.

How Wetlands Get Ramsar site criteria?

Ramsar Sites earn their prestigious status by meeting specific criteria that identify them as Wetlands of International Importance. These criteria ensure that only the most significant and valuable wetlands receive this global recognition and protection.

• Criterion 1: "The wetland contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region."
• Criterion 2: "The wetland supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities."
• Criterion 3: "The wetland supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region."
• Criterion 4: "The wetland supports plant and/or animal species at critical stages in their life cycles or provides refuge during adverse conditions."
• Criterion 5: "The wetland regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds."
• Criterion 6: "The wetland regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird."
• Criterion 7: "The wetland supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions, and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values, thereby contributing to global biological diversity."
• Criterion 8: "The wetland is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery, and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend."
• Criterion 9: "The wetland regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non-avian animal species."

Why are Ramsar sites important?

A core commitment of the Convention on Wetlands' Contracting Parties is to identify and add suitable wetlands to the List of Wetlands of International Importance, known as the Ramsar List.

The Convention provides several mechanisms to assist Contracting Parties in designating their most significant wetlands as Ramsar Sites and in taking the necessary steps to manage them effectively, maintaining their ecological character.

Ramsar Sites are designated based on Criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance. The first criterion highlights Sites containing representative, rare, or unique wetland types, while the other eight focus on Sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity. These criteria underscore the Convention's emphasis on sustaining biodiversity.

In 2005, the Contracting Parties reaffirmed their vision for the Ramsar List: "to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes, and benefits/services."

Today, the Ramsar List is the world's largest network of protected areas, with over 2,400 Ramsar Sites in the territories of 172 Contracting Parties worldwide, covering more than 2.5 million square kilometers.

Ramsar Sites serve as a home to various plant and animal species, as these wetlands will have an ecosystem that is highly diverse biologically. There are 100,000 different species living at these locations. Waterfowl and other migratory birds tend to migrate at these locations as these are on their migration paths, while other birds utilize these as their lay-by location.

Ramsar Sites in India are developed for cultivating rice and other foods. Moreover, these wetlands improve the natural water quality and control shoreline erosion.

Wetlands play a major role in protection against floods, as these sites act as a sponge by lowering the flow of water in case of rains, snow, and floodwater. Since only 3% of water is available for drinking which is mostly present in the arctic. Wetlands play a significant role in replenishing the groundwater.

Full List of Ramsar sites in India

Ramsar Sites in India	State – Location
Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve	Karnataka
Aghanashini Estuary	Karnataka
Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve	Karnataka
Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Longwood Shola Reserve Forest	Tamil Nadu
Karikili Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest	Tamil Nadu
Pichavaram Mangrove	Tamil Nadu
Sakhya Sagar	Madhya Pradesh
Pala Wetlands	Mizoram
Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary	Gujarat
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
Haiderpur Wetland	Uttar Pradesh
Sultanpur National Park	Haryana
Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary	Haryana
Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary	Gujarat
Wadhvana Wetland	Gujarat
Ashtamudi Wetland	Kerala
Beas Conservation Reserve	Punjab
Bhitarkanika Mangroves	Odisha
Bhoj Wetlands	Madhya Pradesh
Chandra Taal	Himachal Pradesh
Chilika Lake	Odisha
Deepor Beel	Assam
East Kolkata Wetlands	West Bengal
Harike Wetlands	Punjab
Hokera Wetland	Jammu & Kashmir
Kanjli Wetland	Punjab
Keoladeo National Park	Rajasthan
Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve	Punjab
Kolleru lake	Andhra Pradesh
Loktak lake	Manipur
Nalsarovar Bird sanctuary	Gujarat
Nagi Bird Sanctuary	Bihar
Nakti Bird Sanctuary	Bihar
Nandur Madhameshwar	Maharashtra
Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary	Punjab
Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
Parvati Agra Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Pong Dam lake	Himachal Pradesh
Renuka lake	Himachal Pradesh
Ropar Wetland	Punjab
Rudrasagar Lake	Tripura
Saman Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
Samaspur Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
Sambhar lake	Rajasthan
Sandi Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
Sarsai Nawar Jheel	Uttar Pradesh
Sasthamkotta lake	Kerala
Surinsar- Mansar lakes	Jammu & Kashmir
Tsomoriri Lake	Ladakh
Upper Ganga river	Uttar Pradesh
Vembanad Kol Wetland	Kerala
Wular lake	Jammu & Kashmir
Sunderban Wetland	West Bengal
Asan Barrage	Uttarakhand
Kanwar Lake or Kabal Taal	Bihar
Lonar Lake	Maharashtra
Sur Sarovar	Uttar Pradesh
Tso Kar Wetland Complex	Ladakh
Nanda Lake	Goa
Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary	Gujarat
Hokersar Wetland	Jammu & Kashmir
Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve	Jammu & Kashmir
Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve	Jammu & Kashmir
Surinsar-Mansar Lakes	Jammu & Kashmir
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary	Karnataka
Sirpur Lake	Madhya Pradesh
Yashwant Sagar	Madhya Pradesh
Thane Creek	Maharashtra
Ansupa Lake	Odisha
Hirakud Reservoir	Odisha
Satkosia Gorge	Odisha
Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve	Tamil Nadu
Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Pallikarnai Marsh Reserve Forest	Tamil Nadu
Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex	Tamil Nadu
Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Vadavur Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Vellode Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Vembannur Wetland Complex	Tamil Nadu
Vellode Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
Sundarban Wetland	West Bengal

Conclusion

Having Ramsar sites will act as an entry barrier for any organization which intends to exploit the wetlands. In addition, Wetlands that are already declared as Ramsar sites will now see an increase in biodiversity. The increase will be spread across the waterbirds, the fishes and other flora & fauna.

Keep Reading