The latest Ramsar site in India is Patna Bird Sanctuary and Chhari-Dhand named on January 30, 2026, to give India a total of 98 sites nationally.
These new locations underline the most important biodiversity hotspots in the run-up to the World Wetlands Day on February 2, in favor of migrant birds and other wildlife in the face of climate pressures.
Where is Patna Bird Sanctuary Located?
The state and India's smallest bird sanctuary is this one, located in the Jalesar tehsil in the Etah district and is only 1.09 sq km in size having a lake area of 1 sq km. It has fresh water marshes, forests, grasslands and water plants such as water hyacinth, Hydrilla, Potamogeton, Salvinia and Azolla along with agricultural activities.
The location has 178 species of birds, such as endangered Dalmatian Pelican, Oriental Darter, Black-necked Stork, Indian Skimmer, flamingos, common cranes, painted storks, raptors, and spoonbills.
It also has more than 252 species of flora and mammals, including golden jackal, jungle cat, fishing cat, common palm civet, Indian bush rat, rufous-tailed hare and young nilgai. It is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of the BirdLife International, and a crucial wintering place to both Central Asian and Siberian birds.
Where is Chhari-Dhand Wetland Located?
This seasonal saline wetland is a 22,700-hectare wetland in the Kutch district of Gujarat situated between the Banni grasslands and the Great Rann filling up with monsoon run-off by nearby hills and rivers.
The fifth Ramsar site and the first Conservation Reserve in Gujarat since 2008, it hosts 250+ bird species such as sociable lapwing on the brink of extinction, vulnerable common pochard, and 30,000 common cranes per year as well as flamingos, pelicans, and storks.
It has wildlife such as chinkara (Indian gazelle), wolves, caracal, desert cats and desert foxes, which add to its contribution in arid ecosystem resilience.
In December 2020, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar announced the addition of one more wetland of India to the list of Ramsar sites. With this announcement, Tso Kar Wetland in Ladakh was added to the list.
Happy to share that high-altitude wetland complex in Changthang region of #Ladakh is recognized as wetland of international importance. The complex is a notable example of two connected lakes, the freshwater Startsapuk Tso & the hypersaline Tso Kar.
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) December 24, 2020
Now, India has 42 Ramsar sites pic.twitter.com/FMGAKxjqof
What is known as a Ramsar site?
Any wetland site which is listed under the Ramsar Convention that intends to preserve it and advance sustainable utilization of its natural resources is known as a Ramsar Site.
On 2 February 1971, the International Treaty for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wetlands was signed at a city of Iran called Ramsar, hence the name Ramsar Sites.
State-Wise Ramsar Sites
| State/UT | No. of Sites | Ramsar Sites |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 | Kolleru Lake |
| Assam | 1 | Deepor Beel |
| Bihar | 6 | Gogabeel Lake, Gokul Reservoir, Kanwar Lake, Nagi Bird Sanctuary, Nakti Lake, Udaypur Lake |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 | Kopra Reservoir |
| Goa | 1 | Nanda Lake |
| Gujarat | 5 | Chhari-Dhand, Khijadiya, Nalsarovar, Thol Lake, Wadhvana Wetland |
| Haryana | 2 | Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, Sultanpur National Park |
| Himachal Pradesh | 3 | Chandra Taal, Pong Dam Lake, Renuka Wetland |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 5 | Hokera Wetland, Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve, Shallabugh Wetland, Mansar-Surinsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Wular Lake |
| Jharkhand | 1 | Udhwa Lake |
| Karnataka | 4 | Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, Aghanashini Estuary, Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve |
| Kerala | 3 | Ashtamudi Wetland, Sasthamkotta Lake, Vembanad-Kol Wetland |
| Ladakh | 2 | Tso Kar Wetland Complex, Tsomoriri Lake |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5 | Bhoj Wetlands, Pala Wetlands, Sakhya Sagar, Sirpur Lake, Tawa Reservoir, Yashwant Sagar |
| Maharashtra | 3 | Nandur Madhameshwar, Thane Creek, Lonar Lake |
| Manipur | 1 | Loktak Lake |
| Mizoram | 1 | Pala Wetland |
| Odisha | 6 | Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Chilika Lake, Hirakud Reservoir, Satkosia Gorge, Ansupa Lake, Tampara Lake |
| Punjab | 6 | Beas Conservation Reserve, Harike Wetland, Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve, Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary, Ropar Wetland, Kanjli Wetland |
| Rajasthan | 5 | Keoladeo National Park, Sambhar Lake, Siliserh Lake, Khichan Wetland, Menar Wetland Complex |
| Sikkim | 1 | Khecheopalri Wetland |
| Tamil Nadu | 20 | Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary, Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary, Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, Longwood Shola Reserve Forest, Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh, Pichavaram Mangrove, Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary, Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex, Therthangal Bird Sanctuary, Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary, Vadavur Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, Vellode Bird Sanctuary, Vembannur Wetland Complex |
| Tripura | 1 | Rudrasagar Lake |
| Uttar Pradesh | 11 | Patna Bird Sanctuary, Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary, Haiderpur Wetland, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary, Saman Bird Sanctuary, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary, Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Sarsai Nawar Jheel, Soor Sarovar, Upper Ganga River |
| Uttarakhand | 1 | Asan Conservation Reserve |
| West Bengal | 2 | East Kolkata Wetlands, Sundarbans Wetland |
| Total | 98 |
| Do you know? 1- India now has 98 Ramsar sites covering over 1.36 million hectares, with the latest additions being Patna Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh and Chhari-Dhand in Gujarat. 2- Chilika Lake is the largest Ramsar Site of India with a surface area of 1,16,500 hectares. 3- Chilika Lake (Orissa) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) were recognized as the first Ramsar Sites of India. 4- Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of Ramsar Sites in India with 8 Indian Wetlands. 5- Renuka Wetland in Himachal Pradesh is the smallest wetland of India a surface area of 20 hectares. |
Interesting facts about Ramsar sites:
1- The Ramsar sites are one of the major protected areas in the world.
2- In 1974, the world's first Ramsar site was identified (Cobourg Peninsula; Australia).
3- With 175 Ramsar sites, the United Kingdom has the largest number of such sites in the world.
4- February 2 is celebrated as the International Wetlands Day.
5- These sites are maintained in Montreux Record to track any major ecological changes that might affect any of the wetland sites positively or negatively.
| Wetlands As per the Ramsar Convention, Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. For example, marine and coastal areas; Estuaries; Lakes and rivers; Marshes and peatlands; Groundwater and human-made wetlands such as rice paddies, shrimp ponds, and reservoirs. |
Source: Ramsar.org
GK Quiz on Ramsar Wetland Convention 1971 and related updates
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