Ramsar Convention

Ramsar Convention

The Ramsar Convention was signed on February 2, 1971, under the conservation of UNESCO, in Ramsar, an Iranian city on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The Ramsar Site Convention, officially known as the “Convention on Wetlands” of International Importance. It entered into force on December 21, 1975, and is the only international treaty specifically focused on wetlands. It is an international environmental treaty.

World Wetlands Day was first celebrated on 2 February 1997 after 16 years of the Ramsar Convention.

Ramsar convention in India

India signed the Ramsar Convention on February 1, 1982, and has been actively protecting and identifying wetlands in the ecosystem since then.

• As of August 2025, India has 91 Ramsar sites.
• Some well-known examples of Ramsar Site include Chilika Lake (Odisha), Loktak Lake (Manipur), and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan).
• These wetlands not only protect biodiversity but also support livelihoods through fishing, aquaculture, migratory bird habitats, tourism, and agriculture.

Type of Ramsar Sites

1. Lakes and Freshwater Wetlands
   Natural or man-made water bodies that support a vast area of ​​biodiversity.These wetlands are important for local communities as a source of fish, irrigation, and greenery, and also support migratory bird populations.
2. Rivers and Floodplain Wetlands
   These wetlands form in river systems, seasonal floodplains, or low-lying areas surrounded by river water. These wetlands act as natural barriers against floods, recharge groundwater, and provide habitat for migratory birds.
3. Coastal and Brackish Lagoon Wetlands
   Tide-fed wetlands often contain a mixture of seawater and freshwater. These include lagoons, estuaries, tidal marshes, brackish lakes, and coastal backwaters. They serve as nurseries for fish, provide protection from storms, and nurture unique flora and fauna.
4. Mangrove and Estuary Wetlands
   Where rivers meet the sea, they form highly productive ecosystems that support mangrove forests.
5. High-Altitude Himalayan Wetlands
   These are typically glacially fed lakes or marshes located at high altitudes.
6. Man-made Wetlands and Reservoir Wetlands
   These wetlands are created by human intervention. These wetlands are primarily used for irrigation, water storage, and power generation. These man-made wetlands also support ecosystems.

Criteria for Identifying Wetlands of International Importance

A wetland can be included in the Ramsar List or designated as being of international importance if any of the following 9 criteria apply.

Class A: Sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types

Criteria 01: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if it contains a representative, rare or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland found in the appropriate bio-geographic region.

Class B: Sites of international importance for the conservation of biological diversity

Criteria based on species and ecological communities

Criterion 02: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if it supports vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.

Criterion 03: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if it supports populations of plant and/or animal species that are important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular bio-geographical region.

Criterion 04: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycle or provides refuge during adverse conditions.

Specific criteria based on water birds

Criterion 05: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.

Criterion 06: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals of the population of a species or subspecies of waterbirds.

Specific criteria based on fish

Criterion 07: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that represent wetland benefits and/or values ​​and thus contribute to global biological diversity.

Criterion 08: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if it is an important source of food, breeding site, nursery and/or migration route for fish on which fish stocks within the wetland or elsewhere depend.

Specific criterion based on other taxa

Criterion 09: – A wetland may be considered internationally important if  it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non-avian animal species.

Why the Ramsar Convention is Important

Biodiversity Conservation: – Wetlands are home to countless species of plants, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals.

Climate Regulation: – Wetlands act as carbon sinks; like peatlands, they are rich in organic matter and help mitigate climate change.

Flood and Drought Control: – They act like natural sponges, storing floodwater and releasing it slowly.

Human Well-Being: – Wetlands provide food, water, raw materials, and recreational opportunities.

World Wetland Day

Every year, February 2 is observed as World Wetlands Day to commemorate the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. It was first observed on February 2, 1997, 16 years after the Ramsar Site Convention.This day reminds us of the importance of wetland conservation for ecological security and human prosperity.

Related Article

Ramsar site in india

References

1. “https://indianwetlands.in” Wetlands of India Portal. Ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
2. “https://www.ramsar.org” The convention on wetland. Official Ramsar website.
3. “https://www.worldwetlandsday.org” World Wetlands Day official web. Wetlands for common future.

External Link

1. The Convention on Wetlands. History of the Convention
2. World Wetlands Day official web. Protecting Wetlands for our common future.

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