Chhattisgarh has designated the Kopra Reservoir in Bilaspur district and Rajasthan’s Siliserh Lake as Ramsar Sites. Kopra Reservoir is the first Ramsar Site of the state of Chhattisgarh.
- Chhattisgarh has achieved a major environmental milestone by declaring the Kopra Reservoir in Bilaspur district as the state’s first Ramsar Site. Along with this, Rajasthan’s Siliserh Lake has also been designated as a Ramsar Site.
- With this, India now has 96 sites on this list. By the end of 2025, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar Sites in India, with 20 wetlands of international importance.
- Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention, headquartered in Gland, Switzerland.
Kopra Reservoir
- This wetland supports more than 60 migratory bird species that depend on it for nesting, feeding and as a stopover site.
- Notable species include the vulnerable Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) and the endangered Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). This site is appreciated by both local communities and tourists for its natural beauty and birdwatching opportunities.
- It is a freshwater wetland system composed of both natural and man-made features; this reservoir is primarily filled by rainwater and supported by small seasonal streams.
- Shri Sai said that the Ramsar designation of the Kopra Reservoir is a significant and motivating step towards the goal mentioned in “Chhattisgarh Vision 2047” – to achieve Ramsar status for 20 wetlands in the state by 2030.
Siliserh Lake
- This site is a man-made wetland within the buffer zone of the Sariska Tiger Reserve.
- Since its construction in the mid-nineteenth century, this wetland has become an important cultural and social identity.
- Among the 149 bird species and 17 mammal species supported by the site and its catchment areas are the vulnerable River Tern (Sterna aurantia) and the endangered Tiger (Panthera tigris).
- This site also supports more than 1 percent of the biogeographical population of the Black Stork (Ciconia nigra).
Ramsar Convention
- The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty signed by 173 countries for the conservation of wetlands. It is named after the city in Iran where it was signed, and it began in 1971 with 18 countries.
- It is one of the largest international agreements after the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 196 countries) and the United Nations Climate Convention (UNFCCC, 197 countries). India ratified this convention on 1 February, 1982.
- The first site was the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia, which was designated in 1974. The largest sites are Rio Negro in Brazil (120,000 sq km), and Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Queen Maud Gulf in Canada. These sites each cover more than 60,000 sq km.
- The countries with the highest number of sites are the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144). Every year, 2 February is observed as World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the important role of wetlands for our planet.
