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India Designates 5 New Ramsar Sites

Context

India has recently designated five new wetlands of International importance.

About

Key-highlights of the addition

With the new addition, the Ramsar sites have been increased from 49 to 54 Ramsar sites in India.
The new addition are as given below:

Three wetlands of Tamil Nadu	Wetland of Mizoram	Wetland of Madhya Pradesh
Karikili Bird Sanctuary Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest Pichavaram Mangrove	Pala wetland	Sakhya Sagar

Important facts about the new sites

Karikili Bird Sanctuary:

Karikili Bird Sanctuary is a 61.21-hectare protected area located in the Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu.
The sanctuary is about 75 km from Chennai, south of Chengalpattu.

Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest:

Pallikaranai wetland is a freshwater marsh located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
It is the only surviving wetland ecosystem of the city and among the few and last remaining natural wetlands of South India.

Pichavaram Mangrove:

Pichavaram mangrove is located in a village near Chidambaram in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu.
The mangrove is one of the largest mangrove forests in India, covering 1100 hectares.

Pala wetland:

The Pala wetland is the largest natural wetland in Mizoram.
The renowned landmark is surrounded by green woodlands and home to rich diversity of animal species including a range of animals and birds.

Sakhya Sagar:

Sakhya Sagar Lake is an integral part of the beautiful ecology of the Madhav National Park in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.

India’s Ramsar Sites:

India’s Ramsar wetlands are spread over 11,000 sq km — around 10% of the total wetland area in the country — across 18 States.
No other South Asian country has as many sites though this has much to do with India’s geographical breadth and tropical diversity.
The United Kingdom (175) and Mexico (142) — smaller countries than India — have the maximum Ramsar sites whereas Bolivia spans the largest area with 148,000 sq km under the Convention protection.

Ramsar Sites

These are wetlands deemed to be of "international importance" under the Ramsar Convention.
It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed in 1971.
Ramsar sites are trans-boundary in which case more than one Contracting Party is responsible for their conservation and management.
The inclusion in the list is for-
the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands,
recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their
Economic value.
Cultural value
Scientific value
Recreational value
It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands.

Wetland

A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded by water, either permanently or seasonally, where oxygen-free processes prevail.
The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other landforms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil.
Two general categories of wetlands are recognized:
- Coastal or tidal wetlands
- Inland or non-tidal wetland