Ramsar sites

The Convention on Wetlands of 1971 is popularly known as Ramsar from the famous Iranian site it was signed at. It aims to create 'Wetlands of International Importance' so that they are used sustainably and steps are taken to conserve them. There are some sites in the 'Montreux Record' on which immediate work for preservation needs to be done as they are under threat due to pollution and degradation. India has 75 Ramsar sites of which 2- the Keoladeo National Park and the Loktak Lake are in the Montreux Record. The Indian government has taken steps to conserve wetlands through the Wetland India's Portal, the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) and the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017. Globally, the list of Ramsar sites has expanded to include 2400 sites from 172 member countries.

A wetland is area water is very close to the surface or the land is submerged in water. It is broadly defined and includes areas like marshland, fen or peatland. Water can be static, flowing, fresh, brackish. These areas could be natural or even manmade. The Ramsar Convention in Article 1 defines wetlands as areas with water depth of not more than 6 meters at low tide. These are highly productive ecosystems and host diverse species because of the unique habitat between terrestrial and aquatic environments. However, these areas are being converted for use around the world leading to large scale degradation.

The Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971 to conserve and sustainably use wetlands. The date of signing is commemorated every year as World Wetlands Day on 2nd February. India became a member in 1982 and has since enlisted 75 Wetland Sites of International Importance.

1. International Network of Wetlands to conserve ecology
2. Development and maintenanceof Wetlands
3. Sustainable use of wetlands for maximising its benefits
4. Reverse wetland degradation and loss

1. Wetland of International Importance: Atleast one must be designated by each contracting Party. This site must be protected by the government.
2. Partner Organisations: Works with other conservation organisations like Birdlife International, WWF, IUCN, Wetlands International to protect wetlands and species comprehensively.
3. Montreux Record: it is a list of wetlands which are under threat due to pollution or human interference.

1. Marine/ Coastal: coral reefs, coastal lagoons (eg: Ashtamudi Lake)
   • Estuarine: Deltas, mangrove swamps, tidal marshes. (eg: Sundarban Wetland (West Bengal))
2. Inland
   • Lacustrine: lakes (eg: Loktak Lake)
   • Riverine: rivers
   • Palustrine: swamps and marshes. (eg: Kabartal Wetland, Bihar)
3. Man-made: fish farms, salt pans, reservoirs etc.

• Tackling Pollution: Reduce carbon emissions by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.
• Brace for Climate Change: Important to fight climate change as these are adaptable and resilient ecosystems.
• Water conservation: Maintains healthy water cycle leading to moderation of temperature.
• Ecologically Diverse: Ecological hotspots with diverse species.

1. Largest Site: Sundarban Wetland (West Bengal) (4230km2)
2. Smallest Site:Vembannur Wetland Complex, Tamil Nadu
3. State with maximum number of Ramsar sites: Tamil Nadu (14)
4. Wetlands in Montreux Record:Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake with floating vegetation (Manipur)
5. In 2022, 11 sites were added:
   1. In Tamil Nadu: Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary, Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex, Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary, Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary.
   2. Madhya Pradesh: Yashwant Sagar which is an Important Bird Area (IBA) hosting migratory birds like the vulnerable Sarus crane.
   3. Maharashtra: Thane Creek is one of the largest creeks in Asia along with being an IBA site which hosts many birds migrating on the Central Asian Flyway. It is a Marine Ecoregion of the World (MEOW) and has mangrove forests.
   4. Jammu & Kashmir: Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve on Wular Lake and Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve lies close Hokera Wetland Ramsar site.
   5. Odisha: Ansupa Lake an oxbow lake of river Mahanadi. Hirakund reservoir across Mahanadi river and Tampara lake.

India at the end of 2023 has over 1200 wetlands of which only 75 are Ramsar Sites. Efforts are being made by the Indian Government to protect these areas

1. Wetland India's Portal: Managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) it has details about all wetlands of India, conservation measures and details about the area.
2. National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA): Plan to conserve wetlands and sharing the expenses between Centre and State for development of wetlands.
3. Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 these rules provide decentralisation of wetland integrated development. The National Wetland Committee is setup as an advisory body for the state management authorities to review progress and implementation of various provisions.
4. Capacity development initiatives: Through upgradation and strengthening of regional workshops and their technical capabilities to connect all the managers and stakeholders together for effective management of wetlands.

India has the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia protecting key ecological areas. Wetlands are considered fundamental for human well-being and environmental sustainability. They are one of the most productive ecosystems of the world. Life-sustaining services provided by the wetland include maintenance of water quantity and quality, source and sink for greenhouse gases, retention of soils and sediments, livelihoods depend on wetlands, food security and provide a wide range of ecological niches, supporting extensive biodiversity. Anthropogenic climatechange along with industrialization, urbanization, resource exploitation, and environmental pollution threaten wetlands across the world. The natural hydrological regime is being altered, there is degradation in the catchment area, pollution, spreading of invasive species, over-harvesting resources so as to not allow them to replenish and unregulated tourism which are huge threats as well.

Ongoing efforts must focus on mitigating the impacts of climate change, regulating industrial and urban development, and fostering sustainable practices to ensure the long-term health of wetlands globally. As we move forward, a forward-thinking approach is essential, promoting not only the protection of existing wetlands but also the restoration of degraded areas and the integration of wetland conservation into broader environmental sustainability agendas. This will not only secure the rich biodiversity within these ecosystems but also safeguard the invaluable services that wetlands provide for human well-being and the planet's ecological balance.