New Ramsar Sites

Why in news?

• Four Indian sites have been newly recognised as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Two of them are in Gujarat and two in Haryana.

About Ramsar Convention:

• The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
• It is also known as Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
• It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed on February 2, 1971.
• Currently there 46 Ramsar sites in India which includes the Chilika Lake in Odisha, Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, Harike Lake in Punjab, Loktak Lake in Manipur, Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir etc.

New Ramsar Sites :

• Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary:
  • This wildlife sanctuary in Haryana is a human-made freshwater wetland.
  • It is also the largest wetland in Haryana.
  • Over 250 bird species use the sanctuary throughout the year as a resting and roosting site.
  • The site supports more than 10 globally threatened species, including the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Steppe Eagle, Pallas's Fish Eagle, and Black-bellied Tern.
• Sultanpur National Park:
  • It is located in Haryana and supports more than 220 species of resident, winter migratory and local migratory water birds at critical stages of their life cycles.
• Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary:
  • This wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat lies on the Central Asian Flyway and more than 320 bird species can be found here.
  • The wetland supports more than 30 threatened waterbird species, such as the critically endangered White-rumped Vulture and Sociable Lapwing, and the vulnerable Sarus Crane, Common Pochard and Lesser White-fronted Goose.
• Wadhvana Wetland:
  • This wetland is in Gujarat and is internationally important for its birdlife as it provides wintering ground to migratory waterbirds, including over 80 species that migrate on the Central Asian Flyway.

What is ‘Central Asian Flyway’?

• Central Asian Flyway (CAF) is a flyway covering a large continental area of Eurasia between the Arctic Ocean and the Indian Ocean and the associated island chains.
• The CAF comprises several important migration routes of waterbirds, most of which extend from the northernmost breeding grounds in Siberia to the southernmost non-breeding wintering grounds in West Asia, India, the Maldives and the British Indian Ocean Territory.
• Regional cooperation among the Central Asian Flyway states is undertaken to promote the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats.
• This includes various international conventions including:
  • Central Asian Waterbirds Flyway Action Plan
  • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS)
  • Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)

PRELIMS QUESTION

Which of the following wetlands is/are recognized as Ramsar sites in India?

1. Chilika Lake

2. Dal Lake

3. Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary

4. Wadhvana Wetland

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 4 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1,3 and 4 only

Answer