India Adds Five Wetlands to Ramsar Convention List

• 02 Feb 2024

On 31^st January, 2024, Union Environment Minister announced that India has expanded its recognition of ecologically significant wetlands by including five more sites in the global list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

• With this addition, the total count of highly recognized waterlogged ecosystems in the country has reached 80.

Key Points

• New Ramsar Sites: Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve, Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, and Aghanashini Estuary in Karnataka.
• Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest in Tamil Nadu.
• Ramsar Convention's Aim: The Ramsar list aims to establish and sustain an international network of wetlands crucial for global biodiversity conservation and human life support.
• World Wetlands Day: The announcement coincides with the upcoming World Wetlands Day.
• Ramsar Convention Background: The Ramsar Convention, signed on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, is an international treaty focusing on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands worldwide.
• The treaty underscores the importance of maintaining the ecosystem components, processes, and benefits of wetlands.