Ramsar Sites

For Prelims: Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Wetlands and Ramsar Sites in India,
Sustainable Development, World Wetlands Day 2022, Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules,
2017

For Mains: Wetlands - Significance, Threats, Impact of Degradation, Measures that can be taken to
protect Wetlands

Why in News?

India has added five more Ramsar sites, or wetlands of international importance, bringing the number of
such sites to 54.

What are these New Ramsar Sites?

Karikili Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu):

The sanctuary is spread over a five-kilometre-wide belt and is home to cormorants, egrets,
grey heron, open-billed stork, darter, spoonbill, white lbis, night herons, grebes, grey
pelican among others.
Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest (Tamil Nadu):
One of the last remaining natural wetlands, the marsh drains in an area of 250 square
kilometres encompassing 65 wetlands.
The Pallikaranai Marsh is one of the few natural coastal aquatic habitats that qualify
as a wetland in India.
Pichavaram Mangrove (Tamil Nadu):
One of the last mangrove forests in the country.
It has an island of a vast expanse of water covered with mangrove forests.
Sakhya Sagar (Madhya Pradesh):
Created from the Manier river in 1918, Sakhya Sagar is located near Madhav National
Park.
Pala Wetland in Mizoram (Mizoram):
It is home to a wide range of animals, birds, and reptiles.
Its geographical location falls under the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and is
therefore rich in animal and plant species.
The lake is a major component of the Palak Wildlife Sanctuary and it supports the
major biodiversity of the sanctuary.

What is Ramsar Recognition?

About:
A Ramsar site is a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar
Convention, which is also known as the ‘Convention on Wetlands’ — an
intergovernmental environmental treaty established by UNESCO in 1971, and named after
the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed that year.
 Ramsar recognition is the identification of wetlands around the world, which are of
international importance, especially if they provide habitat to waterfowl (about 180
species of birds).
There is international interest and cooperation in the conservation of such wetlands and a
judicious use of their resources.
Sundarbans in West Bengal is the largest Ramsar site in India.
India’s Ramsar wetlands are spread over 11,000 sq km — around 10% of the total wetland
area in the country — across 18 States.
No other South Asian country has as many sites though this has much to do with
India’s geographical breadth and tropical diversity.
There are nine
Criteria: One of the nine criteria must be fulfilled to be the Ramsar Site.
Criterion 1: If it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or
near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region.
Criterion 2: If it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species
or threatened ecological communities.
Criterion 3: If it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for
maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region.
Criterion 4: If it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life
cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions.
Criterion 5: If it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.
Criterion 6: If it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or
subspecies of waterbird.
Criterion 7: If it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies,
species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are
representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global
biological diversity.
Criterion 8: If it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground,
nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or
elsewhere, depend.
Criterion 9: If it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one
species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non avian animal species.
Significance:
Ramsar Tag helps 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.
Sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention.

What are the Wetlands?

About:
Wetlands are ecosystems saturated with water, either seasonally or permanently.
They include mangroves, marshes, rivers, lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded
forests, rice-fields, coral reefs, marine areas no deeper than 6 metres at low tide, as well
as human-made wetlands such as waste-water treatment ponds and reservoirs.
Though they cover only around 6% of the Earth’s land surface, 40% of all plant and
animal species live or breed in wetlands.
Significance:
Assist in Fighting Against Climate Change:
Wetlands assist in stabilising CO2 (Carbon dioxide), CH4 (Methane), N2O (Nitrous
oxide) and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) concentrations by minimising climate and land-
use-mediated GHG releases and by boosting the potential to actively collect CO2
from the atmosphere and sequester carbon.
Wetlands also help reduce the risk of disasters such as floods, by protecting
coastlines.
Sequester Carbon:
Wetlands' microbes, plants and wildlife are part of global cycles for water,
nitrogen and sulphur.
 Wetlands store carbon within their plant communities and soil instead of releasing it
to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
Significance of Peatlands:
The term ‘peatland’ refers to the peat soil and the wetland habitats growing on the
surface.
They account for just 3% of the world’s land surface but store twice as
much carbon as forests, thus playing a crucial role in delivering global
commitments on the climate crisis, sustainable development, and biodiversity.
Peatlands - one of the world’s largest carbon reserves, are sparse in India and
require immediate attention.
Paradise for Migratory Birds:
Millions of migratory birds flock to India, and wetlands are critical to this annual
phenomenon.
Ecologically dependent on wetlands, migratory waterbirds connect continents,
hemispheres, cultures, and societies through their seasonal movements.
A diversity of wetland communities offers essential stopovers for birds.
Cultural and Tourism Importance:
Wetlands also have a deep connection with Indian culture and traditions.
Loktak Lake in Manipur is revered as “Ima” (Mother) by locals, whereas Sikkim’s
Khecheopalri Lake is popular as the “wish fulfilling lake”.
The north Indian festival of Chhath is one of the most unique expressions of the
association of people, culture, water and wetlands.
The Dal Lake in Kashmir, Khajjiar Lake in Himachal Pradesh, Nainital Lake in
Uttarakhand and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu are popular tourism destinations.
Threat:
Human Activities:
As per the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services)’s global assessment, wetlands are the most threatened
ecosystem due to human activities and global warming.
Urbanisation:
Wetlands near urban centres are under increasing developmental pressure for
residential, industrial and commercial facilities.
Areas surrounded by urbanised wetlands are expected to lead to a coastal squeeze
in the face of sea-level rise ultimately leading to wetland loss.
Climate Changes:
Climate change and linked drivers and pressures are highly likely to increase
vulnerability of wetlands.
Increased air temperature, shifts in precipitation, increased frequency of storms,
droughts, and floods, increased atmospheric CO2 concentration, and sea level
rise could also affect wetlands.
Maladaptation:
Wetlands are also exposed to the risk of maladaptation — the likelihood of
adverse impacts on these ecosystems in response to adaptation actions in other
sectors.
For example, the construction of hydraulic structures to increase freshwater storage
in upstream stretches, may further accentuate the risks of salinisation in
downstream coastal wetlands.

Way Forward

The ecosystem services of wetlands need to be highlighted in development policies, urban

planning and climate change mitigation.
In this context, mega urban schemes like Smart Cities Mission and Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation need to add the aspects of sustainable
management of wetlands.
The multiple benefits and services provided by wetlands are essential to achieve the
ambitious agenda for building resilient cities to achieve sustainable development goals,
while accommodating further development and eradicating poverty.
 Source: TH

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