Context: India has added five more Ramsar sites, or wetlands of international importance, with this, the Ramsar sites in India have been increased from 49 to 54 sites.

Wetlands

• A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded by water, either permanently or seasonally, where oxygen-free processes prevail.

• The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other landforms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil.

These newly added 5 Ramsar sites are:

1. Karikili Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu): The sanctuary is spread over a five-kilometre-wide belt and is home to cormorants, egrets, grey heron, open-billed stork, darter, spoonbill, white lbnis, night herons, grebes, grey pelican among others.

2. Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest (Tamil Nadu): One of the last remaining natural wetlands, the marsh drains in an area of 250 square kilometres encompassing 65 wetlands. The Pallikaranai Marsh is one of the few natural coastal aquatic habitats that qualify as a wetland in India.

3. Pichavaram Mangrove (Tamil Nadu): One of the last mangrove forests in the country. It has an island of a vast expanse of water covered with mangrove forests.

4. Sakhya Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): Created from the Manier river in 1918, Sakhya Sagar is located near Madhav National Park.

5. Pala Wetland in Mizoram (Mizoram): It is home to a wide range of animals, birds, and reptiles. Its geographical location falls under the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and is therefore rich in animal and plant species. The lake is a major component of the Palak Wildlife Sanctuary and it supports the major biodiversity of the sanctuary.

Significance of Wetlands

• Wetlands provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control, and climate regulation.

• They are, in fact, are a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands that help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater.

• They provide many societal benefits: food and habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species; water quality improvement; flood storage; shoreline erosion control; economically beneficial natural products for human use; and opportunities for recreation, education, and research, etc.

India and Ramsar Wetlands

• India’s Ramsar wetlands are spread over 11,000 sq.km — around 10% of the total wetland area in the country — across 18 States.

• No other South Asian country has as many sites, though this has much to do with India’s geographical breadth and tropical diversity.

• The UK (175) and Mexico (142) — smaller countries than India — have the most Ramsar sites, whereas Bolivia spans the largest area with 1,48,000 sq.km under the Convention protection.

• The National Wetland Inventory and Assessment compiled by the ISRO estimates India’s wetlands to span around 1,52,600 square kilometres.

About Ramsar Convention

• The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (better known as the Ramsar Convention) is an international agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

• It is the only global treaty to focus on a single ecosystem.

• The convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.

• Traditionally viewed as a wasteland or breeding ground of disease, wetlands actually provide fresh water and food and serve as nature’s shock absorber.

• Wetlands, critical for biodiversity, are disappearing rapidly, with recent estimates showing that 64% or more of the world’s wetlands have vanished since 1900.

• Major changes in land use for agriculture and grazing, water diversion for dams and canals, and infrastructure development are considered to be some of the main causes of loss and degradation of wetlands.

What makes Ramsar designation significant?

• Being designated a Ramsar site does not necessarily invite extra international funds but States — and the Centre — must ensure that these tracts of land are conserved and spared from man-made encroachment. 

• Acquiring this label also helps with a locale’s tourism potential and its international visibility.

Criteria for Ramsar site designation

To be Ramsar site a place must meet at least one of the criteria as defined by the Ramsar Convention of 1961, such:

• Supporting vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities or,

• If it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds or,

• Is an important source of food for fishes,

• Spawning ground,

• Nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks are dependent upon.

• Static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres

• Does not include river channels, paddy fields, human-made water bodies/ tanks specifically constructed for drinking water purposes