India, Oct. 25 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
India's network of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention has expanded nearly fourfold since 2014. It has grown from 26 to 103 designated sites covering over 13.87 lakh hectares. Ranking first in Asia and third globally, these ecosystems safeguard biodiversity, buffer floods, recharge groundwater, and sustain livelihoods. Anchored by the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, the Government of India drives scientific and participatory conservation through the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA), Amrit Dharohar, MISHTI, and Mission Sahbhagita to secure long-term ecological resilience.
A Ramsar Site is a wetland designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. These sites are recognised for their ecological, botanical, zoological, limnological or hydrological significance. The Ramsar Convention rests on three pillars. These are the wise use of all wetlands, the designation and effective management of Ramsar Sites, and international cooperation on wetland conservation.
Criteria for Designation
Group
Criteria
A wetland should be considered internationally important
Group A: Wetland types
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.
Group B: Biological diversity
Criteria based on species and ecological communities
Criterion 2
If it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.
Criterion3
If it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region.
Criterion4
If it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions.
Specific criteria based on waterbirds
Criterion5
If it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.
Criterion6
If it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird.
Specific criteria based on fish
Criterion7
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.
Criterion8
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.
Specific criteria based on other taxa
Criterion9
If it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non-avian animal species.
Did You Know? A taxon is a group of organisms classified together based on shared characteristics, while taxa is the plural form, referring to multiple groups. For example, flowering plants, such as roses, form a plant taxon, while butterflies belong to an insect taxon. Major taxa in biodiversity include amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
Benefits of Designating Wetlands to Ramsar List
Commitments After Designation
Did You Know?
India's latest additions to Ramsar Sites
State/UT
Ramsar Site
What is special about it
Andhra Pradesh
Kolleru Lake
Freshwater lake; grey pelican and migratory waterbirds
Arunachal Pradesh
Glaw Lake
Eastern Himalayan Lake; 150+ tree and 49 orchid species
Assam
Deepor Beel
Brahmaputra floodplain wetland; migratory waterbirds
Bihar
Kanwar Jheel (Kabartal)
Floodplain wetland; migratory waterbirds and fish
Nagi Bird Sanctuary
Human-made reservoir; wintering waterbirds
Nakti Bird Sanctuary
Human-made reservoir; wintering waterbirds
Gokul Jalashay
Ganga oxbow lake; birds, fisheries and flood buffering
Udaipur Jheel
Oxbow lake; wintering migratory birds
Gogabil Lake
Oxbow lake; resident and migratory birds
Chandigarh
Sukhna Wetland
Rain-fed, peri-urban reservoir; migratory and resident birds
Chhattisgarh
Kopra Jalashay
Reservoir; resident and migratory waterbirds
Goa
Nanda Lake
Freshwater marsh; wintering waterbirds
Gujarat
Nalsarovar
Natural freshwater lake; sarus crane and waterbirds
Wadhvana Wetland
Irrigation reservoir; wintering migratory birds
Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
Human-made reservoir; waterbirds including sarus crane
Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary
Coastal freshwater and salt marsh wetland near Gulf of Kutch; diverse birds
Chhari Dhand
Seasonal desert wetland near Banni; cranes and flamingos
Haryana
Sultanpur National Park
Resident and migratory waterbirds
Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary
Human-made freshwater wetland; migratory birds
Himachal Pradesh
Pong Dam Lake
Beas reservoir; wintering waterbirds
Chandertal Wetland
High-altitude lake; snow leopard habitat
Renuka Wetland
Spring-fed lake; aquatic and forest biodiversity
Jharkhand
Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary
Twin Ganga-linked lakes; migratory and resident waterbirds
Karnataka
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Kaveri islets; nesting waterbirds and mugger crocodile
Aghanashini Estuary
Estuary and mangroves; fisheries
Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve
Human-made tank; wintering bar-headed goose
Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve
Village irrigation tank; nesting waterbirds
Kerala
Ashtamudi Wetland
Estuarine backwaters; fisheries and mangroves
Sasthamkotta Lake
Spring-fed freshwater lake; drinking water source
Vembanad-Kol Wetland
Largest brackish wetland on the southwest coast
Madhya Pradesh
Bhoj Wetlands
Upper and Lower Lakes of Bhopal; water supply and birds
Sirpur Wetland
Human-made wetland in Indore; migratory birds
Sakhya Sagar
Reservoir in Madhav National Park; mugger crocodile
Yashwant Sagar
Reservoir near Indore; sarus crane and water supply
Tawa Reservoir
Reservoir in Satpura Tiger Reserve; aquatic and bird life
Maharashtra
NandurMadhameshwar
Bird sanctuary; migratory waterbirds
Lonar Lake
Meteorite impact crater lake; saline-alkaline ecosystem
Thane Creek
Mangroves; flamingos and migratory birds
Manipur
Loktak Lake
Floating phumdis; habitat of the Sangai deer
Mizoram
Pala Wetland
Largest natural wetland of Mizoram; hoolock gibbon
Odisha
Chilika Lake
Brackish lagoon; Irrawaddy dolphin, waterbirds and 118 fish species
Bhitarkanika Mangroves
Mangroves; saltwater crocodile and olive ridley turtle
Satkosia Gorge
Mahanadi river gorge; gharial and mugger crocodile
Tampara Lake
Freshwater lake; fish and waterbirds
Hirakud Reservoir
Large reservoir; fish and waterbirds
Ansupa Lake
Mahanadi oxbow lake; birds and fish
Punjab
Harike Lake
River confluence reservoir; migratory waterbirds
Kanjli Lake
Barrage-formed wetland on Kali Bein; waterbirds
Ropar Lake
Sutlej barrage reservoir; waterbirds
Beas Conservation Reserve
River stretch; Indus River dolphin and gharial
Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve
Community-managed wetland; waterbirds
Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary
Shivalik foothill reservoir; waterbirds
Rajasthan
Keoladeo National Park
Waterbirds; historic wintering ground of Siberian crane
Sambhar Lake
Large inland saline lake; flamingos
Menar Wetland Complex
Community-protected village wetlands; migratory birds
Khichan Wetland
Wintering demoiselle cranes; community conservation
Siliserh Lake
Reservoir near Alwar; wetland biodiversity
Sikkim
Khecheopalri Wetland
Sacred Himalayan Lake with peatland and forest
Tamil Nadu
Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary
Coastal wetland; flamingos and migratory shorebirds
Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary
Largest waterbird breeding reserve in South India
Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary
Breeding and wintering ground for waterbirds
Karikili Bird Sanctuary
Breeding waterbirds
Pichavaram Mangrove
One of India's largest mangroves; fish nursery
Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest
Urban marsh; flood buffer and birds
Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve
Coral reefs and dugong
Vembannur Wetland Complex
Human-made irrigation tank; waterbirds
Vellode Bird Sanctuary
Waterbirds
Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary
Migratory waterbirds
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
One of India's oldest bird-protected areas; heronry
SuchindramTheroor Wetland Complex
Irrigation tanks; migratory birds
Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary
Wintering waterbirds
Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary
Nesting herons and painted storks
Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary
Large inland freshwater lake; nesting waterbirds
Longwood Shola Reserve Forest
Nilgiris shola forest; endemic birds
Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary
Brackish coastal lake; migratory birds
Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary
Lake; resident and migratory birds
Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary
Migratory waterbirds
Therthangal Bird Sanctuary
Nesting waterbirds
Tripura
Rudrasagar Lake
Reservoir lake; fish and three-striped roof turtle
Uttar Pradesh
Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to Narora)
Gangetic dolphin, gharial and turtles
Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary
Migratory waterbirds
Sarsai Nawar Jheel
Sarus crane habitat
Sandi Bird Sanctuary
Freshwater marsh; waterfowl and sarus crane
Samaspur Bird Sanctuary
Waterbirds
Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary
Twin oxbow lakes; waterbirds and vultures
Saman Bird Sanctuary
Oxbow lake; wintering waterbirds
Sur Sarovar
Human-made reservoir near Agra; waterbirds
Haiderpur Wetland
Ganga floodplain; gharial, swamp deer and waterbirds
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary
Largest natural floodplain wetland of eastern UP
Patna Bird Sanctuary
Waterbirds
Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary
Wintering bar-headed geese and painted storks
Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal)
Rich avifauna; migratory and resident birds
Sauj Jheel
Shallow, perennial floodplain wetland; migratory and resident waterbirds
Uttarakhand
Asan Conservation Reserve
Asan-Yamuna confluence; migratory waterbirds
West Bengal
East Kolkata Wetlands
Wastewater-fed fisheries and agriculture
Sundarban Wetland
Mangroves; Royal Bengal tiger
Jammu and Kashmir (UT)
Wular Lake
Large freshwater lake; fisheries
Surinsar-Mansar Lakes
Twin freshwater lakes
Hokera Wetland
Reedbeds; white-eyed pochard
Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve
Flood absorption basin; waterbirds
Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve
Waterbirds
Ladakh (UT)
Tsomoriri
High-altitude lake; black-necked crane and bar-headed goose
Tso Kar Wetland Complex
High-altitude lakes; black-necked crane breeding
Did You Know?
Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA)
Amrit Dharohar
Mission Sahbhagita and the Save Wetlands Campaign
Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI)
Wetlands of India Portal
Wetland City Accreditation
How a Wetland is Designated
The First Ramsar Sites
The Largest Ramsar Site
Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan became India's first Ramsar Sites on 1 October 1981. After successful ecological restoration, Chilika was removed from the Montreux Record in 2002. Chilika Development Authority later won the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award.
Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) is a human-made reservoir created in 1958 at the foothills of the Shivalik hills. It shelters threatened species such as Pallas's fish eagle, the common pochard and the black pond turtle. Migratory birds on the Central Asian Flyway rely on it for feeding and wintering.
State-wise List of Ramsar Sites
Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal, designated on 30 January 2019, is India's largest Ramsar Site at 4,23,000 hectares. It holds over 60 per cent of India's mangrove area and a tiger population with unique aquatic hunting skills.
What is Montreux Record: It is a register of Ramsar Sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur. It identifies wetlands requiring priority conservation attention and guides monitoring, remedial action and resource allocation. Sites are included in consultation with the concerned country and relevant scientific experts. Sites may be removed from the record once successful remedial measures are documented or when the threat of ecological change no longer exists.
Sauj Jheel (UP) is a shallow floodplain lake in Mainpuri district that regularly hosts more than 30,000 waterbirds. It provides nesting and foraging grounds for threatened birds such as the sarus crane and the greater spotted eagle. Its sacred lotus and wild sugarcane beds offer cover for nesting birds, fish and amphibians.
Ramsar Sites in India - At a Glance
As per the Ramsar Convention, "Wetlands are the areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres". Linking land and water, wetlands store fresh water, recharge groundwater, buffer floods and sustain fisheries and farming. They also shelter migratory birds and rich biodiversity, placing them among the most productive ecosystems on Earth.
Globally, these habitats are protected under the Convention on Wetlands or the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty. It was adopted at Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971 and entered into force in 1975. As on October 2026, it now includes 172 Contracting Parties and over 2,536 designated "Ramsar Sites" worldwide.
India, home to a large number of wetlands, became a Party to the Convention on 1 February 1982. It has steadily expanded its network since then. The country now has 103 Ramsar Sites, a nearly fourfold rise from just 26 sites in 2014. India's network ranks first in Asia and third in the world in terms of number of sites. Collectively, these sites cover more than 13.87 lakh hectares across 28 States and Union Territories.
Understanding Ramsar Sites
In India, the process begins with the State Government or Union Territory Administration identifying a suitable wetland. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change then coordinates approval and forwards the proposal to the Ramsar Secretariat.
A wetland must meet at least one of nine criteria to qualify as a Wetland of International Importance. The criteria fall into two groups, covering wetland types and the conservation of biological diversity.
Designating wetlands to the Ramsar list and meeting Ramsar Convention commitments is a contribution to global efforts for biodiversity conservation. Ramsar Sites are recognized as being of significant value not only for a country but for humanity as a whole. Designating Ramsar Sites and ensuring their conservation and wise use:
Designation commits the State or Union Territory to the wise use of the wetland and its resources. The site is deemed notified under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, and also the guidelines recommend to be formally notified under these rules with an Integrated Management Plan. The Ramsar Information Sheet must be updated every six years, and the site's ecological character monitored regularly. Guided by these criteria and commitments, India has built a large and remarkably diverse network of Ramsar Sites.
India's Ramsar Sites - From 26 to 103
India's Ramsar Sites span high-altitude lakes, river floodplains, mangroves, coral reefs, village tanks and urban marshes. Tamil Nadu has the highest number with 20 sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 14 sites. Growth has been rapid, and in 2025 alone, 11 wetlands were added, taking the national total to 96. Surha Tal in Uttar Pradesh became the 100th site in June 2026, and Glaw Lake the 101st in August. India's Ramsar site tally has reached 103 on October 15, 2026, with the designation of Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh as the latest additions to the list.
The table below lists all 103 Ramsar Sites by State and Union Territory, with their key conservation value.
How Ramsar Sites Aid in Conservation
Ramsar status brings global recognition, scientific guidance and access to expert advice for designated wetlands. It also places clear duties on States to protect each site's ecological character through planning and monitoring.
Government Initiatives for Wetland Conservation
India's Ramsar network is backed by a strong framework of laws, schemes and people's participation.
Notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, these Rules provide the regulatory framework for wetland conservation. They establish State/UT Wetlands Authorities and prohibit activities such as encroachment, waste dumping and untreated effluent discharge.
NPCA merged the national programmes for lake and wetland conservation into one scheme. Updated NPCA Guidelines issued in 2024 give States an integrated and scientific framework for managing wetlands.
Amrit Dharohar promotes the unique conservation values of India's Ramsar Sites. It covers species and habitat conservation, nature tourism, wetland livelihoods and wetland carbon assessment. Under this, studies for the inventory of flora and fauna of 75 Ramsar Sites have been conducted by the Botanical Survey of India and the Zoological Survey of India, respectively. A 'Standard Operating Procedure for Assessment of Carbon Stock in Wetlands' was released, and has been utilised to assess the Carbon stock of 39 Ramsar Sites across the country.
Mission Sahbhagita promotes participatory conservation; its Save Wetlands Campaign began in Goa on 4 February 2023. Over 2 million citizen volunteers have since helped map more than 1.7 lakh wetlands across the country.
MISHTI targets mangrove restoration over 540 square kilometres in nine States and four UTs. So far, Rs.88.44 crore has been released to restore 9,949.5 hectares of degraded mangroves.
Inaugurated on 2 October 2021, the portal serves as a dynamic knowledge repository on India's wetlands. It offers single-point access to information on sites, projects, initiatives and training for managers and citizens.
Indore and Udaipur became India's first Ramsar-accredited Wetland Cities in January 2025, joining the global network of Ramsar-accredited Wetland Cities.
Way Forward
India's expanding Ramsar network offers an opportunity to strengthen wetland conservation through science, effective management and community participation. The focus ahead must be on translating international recognition into lasting ecological outcomes. Regular monitoring, evidence-based planning and coordination among governments, institutions and local communities can help maintain the ecological character of these wetlands. Sustained efforts will be essential to ensure that wetlands continue to support biodiversity, water security, climate resilience and livelihoods for future generations.
Equally important is the need to integrate wetland conservation into wider development planning. Strengthening local stewardship, improving data and knowledge sharing, and promoting sustainable livelihood opportunities can deepen conservation efforts. By combining ecological priorities with the needs of communities, India can build a more inclusive and resilient approach to wetland management, ensuring these ecosystems remain productive and protected over the long term.
References
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
Parliament of India (Lok Sabha)
Ministry of Jal Shakti (National Water Mission)
Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority
Government of Bihar
Government of Gujarat (Gujarat Tourism)
Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Secretariat)
Click to see pdf
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
