Four more Indian sites get Ramsar recognition: – INSIGHTSIAS

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GS Paper 3

Topics Covered: Conservation related issues.

 

Context:

Four more Indian sites have been recognised as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention taking the number of such sites in the country to 46.

The new sites include:

  1. Sultanpur National Park, Haryana: More than 10 globally threatened, including the critically endangered sociable lapwing, and the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Saker Falcon, Pallas’s Fish Eagle and Black-bellied Tern birds are found here.
  2. Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, Haryana: It is a human-made freshwater wetland. It is also the largest in Haryana.
  3. Thol, Gujarat: It is a Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat lies on the Central Asian Flyway and more than 320 bird species can be found here. It supports more than 30 threatened waterbird species, such as the critically endangered White-rumped Vulture and Sociable Lapwing, and the vulnerable Sarus Crane, Common Pochard and Lesser White-fronted Goose.
  4. Wadhwana, Gujarat: It is internationally important for its birdlife as it provides wintering ground to migratory waterbirds, including over 80 species that migrate on the Central Asian Flyway. Pallas’s fish-Eagle, the vulnerable Common Pochard, and the near-threatened Dalmatian Pelican, Grey-headed Fish-eagle and Ferruginous Duck are some birds found here.

 

Why wetlands are crucial for a healthy planet?

The health of people on our planet depends on healthy wetlands.

  • 40% of the world’s species live or breed in wetlands.
  • Wetlands are “nurseries of life” – 40% of animals breed in wetlands.
  • Wetlands are “kidneys of the earth” – they clean the environment of pollutants.
  • Wetlands “matter for climate change” – they store 30% of land based carbon.
  • Wetlands “minimize disaster risks” – they absorb storm surge.

 

Ramsar Convention:

  • The Ramsar Convention is an international agreement promoting the conservation of wetlands.
  • The Convention was adopted at Ramsar in Iran in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Almost 90% of the UN member states are part of the Convention.

 

Montreux Record:

Montreux Record under the Convention is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.

It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.

The Montreux Record was established by Recommendation of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (1990).

  • Sites may be added to and removed from the Record only with the approval of the Contracting Parties in which they lie.

Currently, two wetlands of India are in Montreux record: Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur).

Chilka lake (Odisha)was placed in the record but was later removed from it.

 

Insta Curious:

What are Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas? How are they protected? Reference: Read this.

 

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. About Ramsar convention.
  2. About Montreux record.
  3. Wetlands in India covered under the convention.
  4. About Tso Kar basin.
  5. Important bird species found in the area.
  6. About the Central Asian Flyway.

Sources: the Hindu.

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