List Ramsar Sites of India 2023

Class24 23, Sep 2023

Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance, as stated under the Ramsar Convention, which is also known as the 'Convention on Wetlands.' This convention is an international treaty, which was established by UNESCO. This convention was named after the 'Ramsar' city, located in Iran, where the convention was signed in 1971 and came into force in 1975. These sites recognized the wetlands, which are ecologically important. These listed Ramsar sites are ecological sites, which helps the government to take necessary steps for the maintenance of these sites. These sites include mangroves, deltas, marshes, rivers, lakes, flooded forests, rice fields, coral reefs, etc. As of September 2023, India has a total of 75 Ramsar sites. Let's study the latest Ramsar Sites of India 2023 in detail.

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands:

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty, which was signed for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
This convention is also known as the Convention on Wetlands.
It was signed on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar (city) in Iran.
The treaty was named after Iran's city Ramsar, where it was signed in 1971.
February 2 is also observed as World Wetlands Day, annually.

Objective of the Ramsar Convention:

This convention works on three pillars, which decide the objective of the Ramsar convention. These three pillars are as follow:

Wise use
Record of Wetlands of International Importance
3. International Cooperation

Ramsar Site:

While joining this convention, each member (country) must designate at least one wetland site within their territory for the list of Wetlands of International Importance.
After inclusion in the list, these sites (Ramsar) receive a new national and international status.
Currently, there are over 2,400 Ramsar Sites around the world, which is about over 2.5 million square kilometers.
The Cobourg Peninsula, located in Australia, was the world's first Ramsar site, which was designated in 1974.
The United Kingdom with 175 has the most numbers of Ramsar sites, followed by Mexico (142).

List Ramsar Sites of India 2023:

India signed the Ramsar convention on 1st February 1982 and designated Chilika Lake (located in Odisha) as the first Ramsar site from India. As of September 2023, India has 75 Ramsar sites, covering an area of 13, 26, 677 ha in the country. In India, Tamil Nadu has a maximum number of Ramsar sites (14), followed by UP (10). The list of Ramsar Sites in India is as follows:

Year-wise designation of 75 Ramsar sites:

S. No.	Year of Designation	No. of site designated	Ramsar Sites
1	1981	2	Chilka Lake (Odisha)
1	1981	2	Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan)
2	1990	4	Loktak Lake (Manipur)
			Harike Wetland (Punjab)
			Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan)
			Wular Lake (Jammu and Kashmir)
3	2002	13	Tsomoriri (High Altitude Ramsar Site) (Leh)
			Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary (TN)
			Ropar Wetland (Punjab)
			Kanjli Wetland (Punjab)
			Bhitarkanika Mangroves (Odisha)
			Bhoj Wetland (Madhya Pradesh)
			Sasthamkotta Lake (Kerala)
			Ashtamudi Wetland (Kerala)
			Pong Dam Lake (Himachal Pradesh)
			Deepor Beel (Assam)
			Kolleru Lake (Andhra Pradesh)
			East Kolkata Wetlands (West Bengal)
			Vembanad-Kol Wetland (Kerala)
4	2005	6	Chandra Taal (Himachal Pradesh)
			Renuka Lake (Himachal Pradesh)
			Rudrasagar Lake (Tripura)
			Hokera Wetland (Jammu and Kashmir)
			Surinsar-Mansar Lakes (Jammu and Kashmir)
			Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora)
5	2012	1	Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary (Gujarat)
6	2019	11	Nandur Madhameshwar (Maharashtra)
			Beas Conservation Reserve (Punjab)
			Keshopur Miani Community Reserve Wetland (Punjab)
			Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary (Punjab)
			Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh)
			Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh)
			Saman Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh)
			Samaspur Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh)
			Sandi Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh)
			Sarsai Nawar Jheel (Uttar Pradesh)
			Sundarban Wetland (West Bengal)
7	2020	5	Kanwar (Kabar) Taal (Bihar)
			Lonar Lake (Impact Crater Lake) (Maharashtra)
			Tso Kar (High Altitude Ramsar Site) (Ladakh)
			Sur Sarovar (Keetham Lake) (Uttar Pradesh)
			Asan Barrage (Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh)
8	2021	14	Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary (Gujarat)
			Thol Lake (Gujarat)
			Wadhvana Wetland (Gujarat)
			Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary (Haryana)
			Sultanpur National Park (Haryana)
			Pala Wetland (Mizoram)
			Ansupa Lake (Odisha)
			Hirakud Reservoir (Odisha)
			Satkosia Gorge (Odisha)
			Tampara Lake (Odisha)
			Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
			Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh)
			Haiderpur Wetland (Uttar Pradesh)
			Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
9	2022	19	Nanda Lake (Goa)
			Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary (Karnataka)
			Sakhya Sagar (Madhya Pradesh)
			Sirpur wetland (Madhya Pradesh)
			Yashwant Sagar (Madhya Pradesh)
			Thane Creek (Maharashtra)
			Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (Tamil Nadu)
			Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
			Karikili Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
			Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest (Tamil Nadu)
			Pichavaram Mangrove (Tamil Nadu)
			Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex (Tamil Nadu)
			Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
			Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
			Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
			Vellode Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
			Vembannur Wetland Complex (Tamil Nadu)
			Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve (J&K)
			Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve (J&K)
		75

Largest Ramsar Sites in India:

Largest Ramsar Sites in India
	Ramsar Site	State	Area (km2)
1	Sundarban Wetland	West Bengal	4230
2	Vembanad-Kol Wetland	Kerala	1512.5
3	Chilika Lake	Odisha	1165
4	Satkosia Gorge	Odisha	981.97
5	Kolleru Lake	Andhra Pradesh	901

Smallest Ramsar Sites in India

Smallest Ramsar Sites in India
	Ramsar Site	State	Area (km2)
1	Renuka Lake	Himachal Pradesh	0.2
2	Vembannur Wetland Complex	Tamil Nadu	0.2
3	Vedanthangal BS	Tamil Nadu	0.4
4	Nanda Lake	Goa	0.42
5	Udhayamarthandapuram BS	Tamil Nadu	0.44

Key Details of India’s 75 Ramsar sites:

S.NO	Ramsar Sites	Key Details
	Kolleru Lake	State: Andhra Pradesh Naturally eutrophic lake Located between the Godavari and the Krishna river basins
	Deepor Beel	State: Assam Permanent freshwater lake
	Kanwar Taal	State: Bihar Also Known as Kabar Taal Lake Lies in the Indo-Gangetic Plain
	Nanda Lake	State: Goa Goa’s first and only Ramsar wetland site An intermittent freshwater marsh
	Khijadia WLS	State: Gujarat Freshwater wetland
	Nalsarovar BS	State: Gujarat Largest natural freshwater lake in the Thar Desert
	Thol Lake	State: Gujarat Human-made reservoir
	Wadhvana Wetland	State: Gujarat Human-made reservoir
	Bhindawas WLS	State: Haryana Human-made freshwater wetland
	Sultanpur National Park	State: Haryana
	Chandra Taal	State: Himachal Pradesh zigh-altitude lake near Kunzum Pass
	Pong Dam Lake	State: Himachal Pradesh Reservoir on the Beas River It is also called Maharana Pratap Sagar. It is located on the Trans-Himalayan Flyway for migratory waterfowl.
	Renuka Lake	State: Himachal Pradesh Natural wetland
	Ranganathituu BS	State: Karnataka
	Ashtamudi Wetland	State: Kerala Natural backwater Kerala's second-largest estuarine ecosystem
	Sasthamkotta Lake	State: Kerala Largest freshwater lake
	Vembanad-Kol Wetland	State: Kerala Kerala's largest brackish lake Second-largest Ramsar Site in India (First: Sundarbans) Longest lake in India
	Bhoj Wetland	State: Madhya Pradesh Human-made reservoir
	Sakhya Sagar	State: Madhya Pradesh Human-made reservoir
	Sirpur wetland	State: Madhya Pradesh Human-made reservoir
	Yashwant Sagar	State: Madhya Pradesh Designated as an IBA in the Indore region (Madhya Pradesh)
	Lonar Lake	State: Maharashtra Endorheic (closed basin) crater lake It was formed by a meteorite impact. High in salinity and alkalinity
	Nandur Madhameshwar	State: Maharashtra Host: leopards and Indian Sandalwood (VU)
	Thane Creek	State: Maharashtra It falls under the MEOW (Marine Ecoregions of the World).
	Loktak Lake	State: Manipur Largest freshwater lake Keibul Lamjao (the only floating national park in the world) floats over Loktak Lake It was included on the Montreux Record in 1993.
	Pala Wetland	State: Mizoram Natural lake
	Ansupa Lake	State: Odisha Freshwater oxbow lake It is formed by Mahanadi River. Odisha's largest freshwater lake
	Bhitarkanika Mangroves	State: Odisha It is a part of the Bhitarkanika WLS Famous for: Olive Ridley Turtle (VU) and Saltwater Crocodile (LC)
	Chilika Lake	State: Odisha India's first wetland of international importance Located: Mouth of the Daya River Brackish water lagoon Flagship species: Irrawaddy dolphin (EN) It was included in Montreux Record in 1993
	Hirakud Reservoir	State: Odisha Largest earthen dam in Odisha
	Satkosia Gorge	State: Odisha Gorge over Mahanadi
	Tampara Lake	State: Odisha
	Beas Conservation Reserve	State: Punjab 185 km stretch of the Beas River
	Harike Wetland	State: Punjab At the convergence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers.
	Kanjli Wetland	State: Punjab Related to the first guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Ji
	Keshopur Miani Community Reserve Wetland	State: Punjab
	Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary	State: Punjab It is located at the Bhakra-Nangal Project
	Ropar Wetland	State: Punjab Formed by: Construction of a barrage
	Keoladeo National Park	State: Rajasthan Included in the Montreux Record in 1990
	Sambhar Lake	State: Rajasthan India’s largest inland saltwater lake
	Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu It is adjacent to Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary
	Gulf of Mannar Marine Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu First Marine Biosphere Reserve in South and South -East Asia Local community: Marakeyars
	Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu
	Karikili Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu
	Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu Human-made wetland Designated as Important Bird Areas (IBA)
	Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest	State: Tamil Nadu
	Pichavaram Mangrove	State: Tamil Nadu
	Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu
	Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex	State: Tamil Nadu Designated as Important Bird Areas (IBA)
	Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu
	Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu Human-made irrigation tank
	Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu Freshwater wetland
	Vellode Bird Sanctuary	State: Tamil Nadu
	Vembannur Wetland Complex	State: Tamil Nadu Human-made inland tank Designated as Important Bird Areas (IBA)
	Rudrasagar Lake	State: Tripura
	Hokera Wetland	UT: Jammu & Kashmir Natural wetland is adjacent to the Jhelum basin
	Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve	UT: Jammu & Kashmir It lies downstream of Wular Lake
	Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve	UT: Jammu & Kashmir
	Surinsar-Mansar Lakes	UT: Jammu & Kashmir Freshwater Lakes
	Wular Lake	UT: Jammu & Kashmir India's largest freshwater lake
	Tso Kar	UT: Ladakh Designated as Important Bird Area High-altitude wetland
	Tsomoriri	UT: Ladakh Freshwater to brackish lake
	Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary	State: Uttar Pradesh Freshwater marsh
	Haiderpur Wetland	State: Uttar Pradesh Formed by: Construction of the Madhya Ganga Barrage
	Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary	State: Uttar Pradesh Shallow marshland Renamed Chandra Shekhar Azad Bird Sanctuary
	Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary	State: Uttar Pradesh Permanent freshwater environment
	Saman Bird Sanctuary	State: Uttar Pradesh Seasonal oxbow lake
	Samaspur Bird Sanctuary	State: Uttar Pradesh Perennial lowland marsh
	Sandi Bird Sanctuary	State: Uttar Pradesh
	Sarsai Nawar Jheel	State: Uttar Pradesh Designated as Important Bird Area
	Sur Sarovar (Keetham Lake)	State: Uttar Pradesh Created to supply water to Agra
	Upper Ganga River	State: Uttar Pradesh
	Asan Barrage	State: Uttarakhand
	East Kolkata Wetlands	State: West Bengal
	Sundarban Wetland	State: West Bengal Largest Ramsar Site in India Largest mangrove forest