Environment & Ecology15 Concepts & Facts

Ramsar Sites in India: 1971 Convention & Montreux Record

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, provides the intergovernmental framework for national action and multilateral cooperation. India acceded to the convention on 1 February 1982, committing to designate and preserve wetlands of international importance. Qualification requires satisfying at least one of nine criteria divided into two groups: Group A covers representative, rare, or unique natural wetland types, while Group B prioritizes biodiversity conservation, particularly vulnerable species, ecological communities, waterbirds, and fish. Specifically, Criterion 5 mandates regular support for 20,000 or more waterbirds, whereas Criterion 6 requires sustaining one percent of the individuals in a biogeographical population of a waterbird species or subspecies.

Wetlands undergoing acute ecological deterioration are placed on the Montreux Record, a specialized register established during COP 4 at Montreux, Switzerland, in 1990. The record highlights Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur from technological developments, pollution, or human interference. India has had three sites placed on this register: Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan (inscribed in 1990 due to water scarcity and grazing pressures), Loktak Lake in Manipur (inscribed in 1993 following habitat disruption by the Ithai Barrage), and Chilika Lake in Odisha (inscribed in 1993 owing to siltation). Following targeted desiltation and mouth restoration by the Chilika Development Authority, Chilika was delisted in 2002, becoming Asia's first restored site.

Geographically, India occupies a focal crossroads along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), which covers thirty nations and supports over 182 migratory waterbird species traversing between Arctic breeding grounds and South Asian wintering wetlands. The Ministry of Environment coordinates the National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds along this corridor, complemented by the Amrit Dharohar initiative promoting community stewardship around Ramsar locations. In UPSC CSE (GS Paper III) and SSC CGL examinations, key testing areas include Ramsar qualification criteria, statutory triggers for Montreux Record listings, restoration techniques applied at Chilika Lake, geographic coordinates of newly notified Indian wetlands, and intergovernmental flyway treaties.

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#1
The Ramsar Convention was signed on 2 February 1971 (commemorated as World Wetlands Day) and entered into force in India on 1 February 1982.
#2
Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) were designated as India's first Ramsar sites in October 1981.
#3
The Sundarbans mangrove wetland in West Bengal is India's largest Ramsar site, while Renuka Lake in Himachal Pradesh is the smallest.
#4
Two Indian sites currently feature on the Montreux Record due to ecological threats: Keoladeo National Park (water shortage) and Loktak Lake (phumdi degradation).
#5
Chilika Lake was placed on the Montreux Record in 1993 but became the first Asian site successfully removed in 2002 following mouth-opening hydrological restoration.
#6
The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the Ramsar List where ecological character changes have occurred, are occurring, or are imminent due to technological developments or pollution.
#7
Loktak Lake in Manipur contains the Keibul Lamjao National Park, the world's only floating national park, preserving the critically endangered Sangai (brow-antlered deer).
#8
Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar sites among all Indian states, with sixteen designated wetland complexes including Point Calimere and Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere.
#9
Uttar Pradesh holds the second highest number of Ramsar sites in India, featuring ten designated wetlands such as Upper Ganga River, Haiderpur, and Saman Bird Sanctuary.
#10
Tso Kar and Tsomoriri in the Union Territory of Ladakh are high-altitude hypersaline and freshwater Ramsar wetlands functioning as primary breeding grounds for black-necked cranes.
#11
The Central Asian Flyway (CAF) covers a large continental area connecting thirty countries, with India providing critical wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl across designated Ramsar sites.
#12
Wular Lake in Jammu & Kashmir is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, fed primarily by the Jhelum River and designated as a Ramsar site in 1990.
#13
Bhoj Wetland in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, consists of two man-made lakes created in the 11th century by Paramara King Raja Bhoj, supplying municipal water and supporting diverse avifauna.
#14
The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 decentralized wetland management by establishing State Wetland Authorities under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
#15
India expanded its Ramsar network to eighty-five designated wetlands as of 2024, representing the largest national network of Ramsar sites in South Asia.

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Educator's Insight

Wetlands are nature's water filters and flood shock-absorbers, providing critical breeding grounds for migratory waterfowl. The Ramsar Convention, signed in Iran in 1971, provides an international framework to protect these fragile aquatic habitats. India joined in 1982 and has expanded its recognized wetlands nationwide, from the massive mangrove forests of the Sundarbans to tiny sub-alpine lakes like Renuka. Severely threatened sites facing ecological degradation are placed on the specialized Montreux Record for intensive conservation action.

Environment questions in UPSC prelims and State PSC exams frequently focus on Ramsar site lists and Montreux Record status. Watch out for statement traps: only two Indian wetlands are currently listed on the Montreux Record—Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan and Loktak Lake in Manipur. Remember that Chilika Lake was removed from the Montreux Record in 2002 after successful mouth restoration. Also keep in mind for MCQs that the Sundarbans is India's largest Ramsar wetland, while Renuka is the smallest.

Ramsar Sites in India: 1971 Convention & Montreux Record

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