Master10
National Parks, Wildlife & Biodiversity Module

Ramsar Wetlands & Biosphere Reserves

India's international conservation commitments are anchored by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971) and UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. India has designated over 80 Ramsar sites—including Keoladeo National Park, Chilika Lake, Vembanad Kol, and Sundarban Wetland—recognizing their international ecological importance for migratory waterbirds and flood buffering. Furthermore, India has established 18 Biosphere Reserves, of which 12 are included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, such as Nilgiri, Gulf of Mannar, and Sundarbans. In addition, the Western Ghats and the Himalayas are recognized as global biodiversity hotspots harboring high levels of endemism.

Key Concepts & Examination Highlights

  • The Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, provides the international treaty framework for wetland conservation; Chilika Lake and Keoladeo National Park were India's first Ramsar sites (1981).
  • Vembanad Kol Wetland in Kerala is the largest Ramsar wetland site in India, spanning an area of over 1,512 square kilometres.
  • Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, established in 1986 across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, was India's first Biosphere Reserve and part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
  • India encompasses four globally recognized biodiversity hotspots: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region, and Sundaland (Nicobar Islands).
  • Tamil Nadu holds the highest number of Ramsar designated wetland sites among all Indian states.
  • The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the Ramsar List where ecological character changes have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur; India's Keoladeo National Park and Loktak Lake are on the Record.
  • Chilika Lake was placed on the Montreux Record in 1993 due to siltation and choking of its mouth, but was successfully removed in 2002 following effective ecological restoration.
  • Renuka Wetland in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh is the smallest Ramsar wetland site in India, covering an area of roughly 20 hectares.
  • The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu was India's first marine biosphere reserve, encompassing 21 islands, coral reefs, and sea cow (Dugong) habitats.
  • Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in Uttarakhand and Sundarbans in West Bengal were inscribed in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2004 and 2001 respectively.
  • Deepor Beel in Assam is a permanent freshwater lake and major bird sanctuary located in an erstwhile channel of the Brahmaputra River.
  • Lonar Lake in Maharashtra and Sur Sarovar (Keetham Lake) in Uttar Pradesh were designated as Ramsar sites in 2020.
  • The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands designates wetlands of international importance, defining wetlands broadly to include lakes, rivers, marshes, peatlands, and coastal marine zones up to 6 meters depth at low tide.
  • World Wetlands Day is celebrated globally every year on February 2 to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.
  • Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan were designated as India's first two Ramsar sites in October 1981.
  • Tamil Nadu possesses the highest number of Ramsar wetland sites among all Indian states, followed closely by Uttar Pradesh.
  • The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the Ramsar List where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur from technological developments or pollution.
  • Two Indian wetlands are currently listed on the Montreux Record: Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur); Chilika Lake was removed after successful restoration.
  • Renuka Wetland in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh is the smallest Ramsar site in India, covering an area of approximately 20 hectares.
  • Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal is the largest Ramsar site in India, spanning over 4,200 km² across the mangrove delta.
  • UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, launched in 1971, promotes scientific approaches to balance biodiversity conservation with socioeconomic development.
  • Panna Biosphere Reserve in Madhya Pradesh and Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in Kerala/Tamil Nadu are among the recent Indian additions to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
  • Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve contains pristine tropical rainforests and endemic wildlife including the Nicobar Megapode and Crab-eating Macaque.
  • Kutch Biosphere Reserve in Gujarat is the largest biosphere reserve in India by geographical area, covering over 12,454 km².
  • Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve spans across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, serving as the source watershed for the Narmada, Johilla, and Son rivers.
  • The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar on February 2, 1971, entering into force in 1975.
  • World Wetlands Day is celebrated globally every year on February 2 to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention.
  • India became a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention on February 1, 1982.
  • As of 2024, India has designated 80 Ramsar Sites covering over 1.33 million hectares, the highest number of Ramsar sites in South Asia.
  • Tamil Nadu holds the highest number of Ramsar wetland sites in India (16 sites), followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).
  • Sundarbans Wetland in West Bengal is the largest Ramsar site in India by surface area, covering approximately 4,230 square kilometers.
  • Renuka Wetland in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh is the smallest Ramsar site in India, spanning an area of roughly 20 hectares.
  • The Montreux Record is a principal register under the Ramsar Convention listing wetland sites facing acute ecological character alterations from pollution or human interference.
  • Two Indian wetlands are currently listed on the Montreux Record: Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur).
  • Chilika Lake was placed on the Montreux Record in 1993 but became the first wetland in Asia to be successfully removed from it in 2002 after ecological restoration.
  • Loktak Lake in Manipur is famous for its unique floating islands of decomposed organic matter called 'Phumdis' and Keibul Lamjao National Park.
  • Wular Lake in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir is the largest natural freshwater lake in India and an important Ramsar wetland.
  • Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh is a major natural freshwater wetland situated between the Godavari and Krishna river deltas.
  • Deepor Beel is a permanent freshwater lake in Kamrup district of Assam, serving as a staging site for migratory birds and wild Asian elephants.
  • Vembanad-Kol Wetland in Kerala is the longest lake in India and the second-largest Ramsar site in the country.
  • Sasthamkotta Lake in Kollam district of Kerala is known as the 'Queen of Lakes' and is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala.
  • Ashtamudi Wetland in Kollam, Kerala, is an eight-armed palm-shaped estuarine wetland opening into the Arabian Sea at Neendakara.
  • Bhoj Wetland in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, consists of two man-made lakes—the Upper Lake (Bada Talab) and Lower Lake—built by Raja Bhoj.
  • Harike Wetland in Firozpur, Punjab, is a man-made wetland situated at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers.
  • Kanjli Wetland and Ropar Wetland are prominent Ramsar sites in Punjab created by river barrages across the Kali Bein and Sutlej rivers respectively.
  • Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary in Punjab is a serene Ramsar wetland located on the banks of the Sutlej River downstream of the Bhakra Dam.
  • Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan is India's largest inland saline lake and an important wintering habitat for thousands of Lesser Flamingos.
  • Surinsar-Mansar Lakes in Jammu and Kashmir are semi-arid freshwater lakes with immense cultural significance and diverse freshwater turtle species.
  • Tso Moriri (Mountain Lake) in the Changthang plateau of Ladakh is a high-altitude brackish lake supporting breeding Black-necked Cranes.
  • Tso Kar Wetland Complex in Ladakh comprises the hypersaline Startsapuk Tso and freshwater Kar Tso, situated at an altitude above 4,500 meters.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretariat, UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, and MoEFCC.

Sample Solved Questions & Concept Explanations

8 Verified Concept Questions
Q1.EASY

Which was the first Biosphere Reserve established in India in 1986 under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme?

Q2.EASY

World Wetlands Day is celebrated globally every year on which date to mark the adoption of the Ramsar Convention in 1971?

Q3.EASY

Which two sites were the first in India to be designated as Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance in October 1981?

Q4.EASY

The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, India's first marine biosphere reserve, is located off the southeastern coast of which state?

Q5.EASY

Bhitarkanika Mangroves, a designated Ramsar wetland in Kendrapara district of Odisha, is globally famous for which marine reptile?

Q6.EASY

Harike Wetland, a prominent human-made Ramsar wetland in Punjab, was created at the confluence of which two rivers?

Q7.MEDIUM

Which is the largest Biosphere Reserve in India by total geographical area (~12,454 sq km), known for protecting the Indian Wild Ass?

Q8.MEDIUM

Renuka Wetland, the smallest Ramsar wetland site in India (~0.2 sq km / 20 hectares), is situated in which district of Himachal Pradesh?