Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Wetlands and Ramsar Sites
"Wetlands are transitional land areas permanently or temporarily saturated with water; Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971) for conservation."
Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. They include marshes, swamps, bogs, fens, peatlands, lagoons, estuaries, mangroves, river floodplains, and permanent water bodies like lakes and ponds. Wetlands form the transition zone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Ramsar Convention (formally: Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an intergovernmental environmental treaty adopted on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran — the first intergovernmental environmental treaty in history. February 2 is celebrated as World Wetlands Day. The convention provides for the listing of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), based on criteria including supporting significant numbers of waterbirds, providing critical habitat for globally threatened species, providing exceptional biodiversity, and serving as a representative example of a regional wetland type. India has 75 Ramsar Sites as of 2023, the highest number of any country in South Asia and one of the highest globally. India's first Ramsar sites (1981): Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan). India's largest Ramsar site: Sundarbans (West Bengal). India's newest additions (2022): 10 sites added at once, taking the total from 46 to 56, subsequently expanded to 75 by mid-2023. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services: flood regulation (absorbing excess water during floods); groundwater recharge; water purification (filtering pollutants); carbon sequestration (especially peatlands and mangroves — 'blue carbon'); fisheries (nurseries for fish); biodiversity (supporting 40% of world's species); and cultural/aesthetic value. India's Wetlands Rules 2017 (replaced earlier 2010 rules) provide the regulatory framework for wetland conservation.
Important for UPSC GS3 Environment, Biodiversity, and Geography. Prelims: Ramsar Convention (1971, Iran); February 2 = World Wetlands Day; India's 75 Ramsar sites; first sites (Chilika + Keoladeo); largest (Sundarbans). Mains: threats to wetlands (urbanisation, agriculture, pollution, groundwater extraction), blue carbon, mangroves as climate mitigation, and India's Wetlands Rules 2017.
- 1 Ramsar Convention: adopted February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran — first intergovernmental environmental treaty
- 2 World Wetlands Day: February 2 every year
- 3 India: 75 Ramsar Sites (as of 2023) — highest in South Asia
- 4 India's first Ramsar sites (1981): Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan)
- 5 India's largest Ramsar site: Sundarbans (West Bengal)
- 6 Ecosystem services: flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification, blue carbon, fisheries
- 7 Blue carbon: carbon sequestered by mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes — critical for climate mitigation
- 8 India's Wetlands Rules 2017: regulatory framework; bans encroachment, solid waste dumping in wetlands
Chilika Lake in Odisha — India's first Ramsar site and Asia's largest coastal lagoon — supports over 1 million waterbirds during migration, including rare flamingos, and provides livelihoods to over 200,000 fisherfolk. Its successful conservation and restoration from ecological degradation using participatory management is a Ramsar success story.