Five more Indian wetlands have been added to the global list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, taking the total number of such highly recognised waterlogged ecosystems in the country to 80, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on January 31.
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Of the five wetlands added to the Ramsar list, Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve, Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, and Aghanashini Estuary are in Karnataka and Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest are in Tamil Nadu.
The aim of the Ramsar list is "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".
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Mr. Yadav said the emphasis Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put on environmental protection and conservation has led to a paradigm shift in how India treats its wetlands. "This reflects in the Amrit Dharohar initiative envisioned by PM Modi," he said.
"Powered by 5! Met with Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, in Delhi today. With two days to go for #WorldWetlandsDay, India today increased its tally of Ramsar Sites from 75 to 80," he posted on X.
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed on February 2, 1971.