According to Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, five more Indian wetlands have been added to the global list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Adding 5 more sites raised the number of Indian Ramsar Sites to 80.

Added 5 sites are :

Karnataka: Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve, Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve and Aghanashini Estuary
Tamil Nadu: Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest

What is the Ramsar Convention?

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty, signed by 172 countries to protect and conserve wetlands.
It was named after the city in Iran where it was signed and it began with 18 countries in 1971. The convention is one of the oldest inter-governmental accords for preserving the ecological character of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands and its aim is to develop a global network of wetlands for the conservation of biological diversity and for sustaining human life.
There are over 2,400 Ramsar Sites around the world and the first Site was designated in 1974 on the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia.
The largest sites are Rio Negro in Brazil (120,000 sq km), Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Queen Maud Gulf in Canada, each covering over 60,000 sq km.
In India, Sundarbans in West Bengal is the largest Ramsar site.

What are wetlands?

Wetlands encompass a broad range of ecosystems, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, underground aquifers, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas, tidal flats, mangroves, coral reefs, and human-made sites like fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans. These ecosystems are crucial for human survival as they are among the world's most productive environments, providing a habitat for countless species of plants and animals, and offering water and productivity upon which they depend for survival.
Wetlands are indispensable for the numerous benefits or "ecosystem services" they provide to humanity. They offer freshwater supply, food, building materials, biodiversity, flood control, groundwater recharge and climate change mitigation. They are essential to human existence and must be protected to maintain the balance of the planet's ecosystem.

World Wetland Day

World Wetland Day is celebrated every year on February 2nd. The Theme of 2024 is “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing.”