Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary Declared Ramsar Site

Why in News?

On the occasion of World Wetlands Day on February 2, 2022, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav declared 'Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary' in Uttar Pradesh and 'Khijadiya Wildlife Sanctuary' in Gujarat as Ramsar sites in a program organized at Sultanpur National Bird Park, Gurugram, Haryana.

Key Points:

=> With the inclusion of these two sanctuaries in the Ramsar site, the total number of protected wetlands in the country has increased to 49. Now the number of Ramsar sites in India has become the largest among the countries of South Asia.

=> Similarly, the number of Ramsar sites in Uttar Pradesh has now increased to 10 - 1. Upper Ganga River (Brajghat to Narora stretch), 2. Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao), 3. Sandi Bird Sanctuary (Hardoi), 4. Samaspur Bird Sanctuary (Rae Bareli), 5. Saman Bird Sanctuary (Mainpuri), 6. Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary (Gonda), 7. Sarsai Nawar Lake (Etawa), 8. Sur Sarovar Lake/Keetham Lake (Agra), 9. Haidarpur Wetland, 10 Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary (Sant Kabir Nagar).

=> Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Sant Kabir Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, provides a safe and favorable winter habitat for a large number of Central Asian bird species.

=> On this occasion the National Wetlands Decadal Change Atlas on Wetlands of India (in physical form) prepared by Space Application Center (SAC), Ahmedabad was also released, which throws light on the changes in wetlands over the last decade.

=> It is noteworthy that the Ramsar Treaty is an international treaty for the conservation and efficient use of wetlands, which was signed on February 2, 1971 in the city of Ramsar, Iran.

=> World Wetlands Day is celebrated all over the world on 2 February every year to mark the date of implementation of the Treaty on Wetlands. It is celebrated to raise global awareness about the important role of wetlands for people and our planet.

=> The theme of this year's World Wetlands Day is 'The Role of Wetlands for People and Nature', which highlights the importance of work to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands for the health of humans and the planet.