Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on the eve of World Wetlands Day 2024, India has increased its tally of Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance) to 80 from existing 75 by designating five more wetlands as Ramsar sites.
Three of these sites — Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, Aghanashini Estuary and Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve — are located in Karnataka whereas two — Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest — are in Tamil Nadu.
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He said the emphasis Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put on environmental protection and conservation has led to a paradigm shift in how India treats its wetlands, adding that this reflects in the Amrit Dharohar initiative envisioned by PM Modi.
In a post, Mr Yadav said he met Dr Musonda Mumba, the Secretary General of Ramsar Convention who handed over the certificates of the five sites.
With the addition of these five wetlands to List of Wetlands of International Importance, the total area covered under Ramsar sites is now 1.33 million ha which is an increase of 5,523.87 ha from existing area (of 1.327 million ha.
Tamil Nadu continues to have the maximum number of Ramsar Sites (16 sites) followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).
India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.
World Wetlands Day (WWD) is celebrated across the globe to commemorate the adoption of this international agreement on wetlands on 2nd February 1971.
This year, the Environment ministry in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh Government, is organising the national World Wetlands Day event at Sirpur Lake, Indore, a Ramsar site designated in 2022.
