10 More Wetlands in India Get International “Ramsar Site” Tag,

Ten more wetlands in India have been recognised as “Ramsar” wetland sites, taking the total number in the country to 37, announced the country’s Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday. Signed in February 1971, the Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

The aim of the Ramsar list of wetlands is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits.

Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention.

Javadekar tweeted that the “Ramsar Declaration” was an acknowledgement of India’s commitment in achieving the conservation and sustainable use of the important wetlands of the country.

The southwestern state of Maharashtra got its first Ramsar site at Nandur Madhameshwar, while the northern state of Punjab which already had three Ramsar sites added three more at Keshopur-Miani, Beas Conservation Reserve, at Nangal.

And the northern state of Uttar Pradesh with one Ramsar site has added six more at the Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and SarsaiNawar areas. 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.

“In fact, the wetlands are a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater,” said the Ministry of Environment.

A graphic of how a wetland works. In India, wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life.