Four Indian sites get Ramsar recognition

Four more wetlands from India get recognition as Ramsar sites on 14th August 2021. These sites are Thol (Gujarat), Wadhwana (Gujarat), Sultanpur(Haryana) and Bhindawas(Haryana). With this the number of Ramsar sites in India are 46. While Haryana gets its first Ramsar sites, Gujarat gets three more after Nalsarovar which was declared in 2012.

Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest wetland in Haryana is a human-made freshwater wetland. Over 250 bird species use the sanctuary throughout the year as a resting and roosting site. 

​Sultanpur National Park
Sultanpur National Park from Haryana supports more than 220 species of resident, winter migratory and local migratory waterbirds at critical stages of their life cycles. 

Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary from Gujarat lies on the Central Asian Flyway and more than 320 bird species can be found here. 

Wadhvana Wetland
Wadhvana Wetland from Gujarat 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. 
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About Wetlands
Wetlands provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation. They are, in fact, are a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater.

About Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
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About Ramsar site
Under Ramsar Convention the Ramsar site is recognised to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits.

Sources :  PIB