Friday, 17 May, 2024
By: Yash Gupte
As of January 2023, the number of parties to the convention is 171. Image source: IANS
As of January 2023, India has 75 Ramsar sites. A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as "The Convention on Wetlands."
The presentation of the Union Budget 2023-24 by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2023 caught the attention of the whole nation as people were eagerly waiting for the announcement of some positive pocket-friendly measures by the government. The government introduced new tax regime with full rebate on annual income below Rs. 7 lakhs. But apart from some announcements related to finance and important government schemes, the Finance Minister in budget speech also highlighted the efforts of government towards attaining the sustainable development goals. Nirmala Sitharaman also highlighted the importance of wetlands and biodiversity. Sitharaman said, “Wetlands are vital ecosystems which sustain biological diversity. In his latest ‘Mann ki Baat,’ the Prime Minister has talked about, and I quote that now, the total number of Ramsar sites has increased to 75, whereas before 2014, there were only 26.”
According to Fin Min Sitharaman, local communities have always contributed the best in the conservation of wetlands. The government will promote their efforts through ‘Amrit Dharohar,’ a scheme that will be implemented over the next three years to encourage optimal use of wetlands and enhance biodiversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities.
As of January 2023, India has 75 Ramsar sites. A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as "The Convention on Wetlands." The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty for “the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands”. It was signed on February 2, 1971 in Iran in the city of Ramsar. Every year, February 2 is observed as World Wetlands Day. As of January 2023, the number of parties to the convention is 171. There are over 2,400 Ramsar Sites covering 2.5 million sq. km on the territories of 171 Ramsar Contracting Parties across the world. Currently, India has 75 Ramsar sites.
Recently, India added 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites taking the total number of Ramsar sites to 75 in the 75th year of independence. The eleven new sites are- Tampara Lake, Hirakud reservoir, Ansupa Lake in Odisha, Yashwant Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary, Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex, Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary, kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Thane Creek in Maharashtra, Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve and Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir. In the new list, the largest Ramsar site is the Thane Creek covering an area of 6,521.08 hectares.
On the account of World Wetlands Day and Nirmala Sitharaman highlighting the importance of Ramsar sites and biodiversity, India Tracker takes a look at the Ramsar sites.
With the addition of 11 new sites, India has been able to come a long way in preserving and conserving the environment effectively. Around 26 wetlands were designated as Ramsar sites in India from 1981 to 2013. This number jumped to 75 as 49 sites were designated as Ramsar sites from 2014 to 2022. Tamil Nadu has maximum number of Ramsar sites (14), followed by UP which has 10 Ramsar sites. Sunderban wetland in West Bengal is the largest Ramsar site in India covering an area of 4,230 sq. km while Renuka Lake in Himachal Pradesh is the smallest Ramsar site in the country covering an area of 0.2 sq. km.
Source: www.ramsar.org
United Kingdom tops the chart with highest number of Ramsar sites in the world with 175. Spain stands on second position with 76, India on third with 75, Sweden on fourth with 68 and Australia stands on the fifth position with 66 Ramsar sites followed by China (64). The increasing number of Ramsar sites in India displays the sincere efforts taken by the government in the conservation of wetlands and making them suitable for flora and fauna to flourish. In order to spread awareness about the importance of Ramsar sites and ensure maximum participation of the international community, 2nd February is celebrated as World Wetlands Day. This day also marks the adoption of the convention on the wetlands in the city of Ramsar on February 2, 1971. The theme for the world wetlands day 2023 is “It’s Time for Wetlands Restoration.”
