India has become the country with the highest number of Ramsar Sites in Asia after adding 11 new wetlands to the list in a single month. With this addition, the total number of Ramsar Sites in India has risen to 75. India now leads Asia in the number of Ramsar Sites, with only two other countries in the region having more than 50 such sites.

The newly added Ramsar Sites are spread across several states: Tamil Nadu with 4, Odisha with 3, Jammu & Kashmir with 2, and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Earlier in the first week of this month, India also added 10 new wetlands to the Ramsar list.

Importance of Wetlands

Wetlands are crucial for environmental conservation and biodiversity. They also play a key role in preserving natural resources that are essential for human use. Many wetlands serve as vital sources of fresh water, including lakes, rivers, wet grasslands, coastal areas, human-made fishponds, and mangrove forests.

India signed the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1982, which has now been ratified by 172 countries. The importance of wetlands is celebrated annually on World Wetlands Day, observed on February 2, marking the date when the Ramsar Convention was established in 1971.

These wetlands are not only critical for wildlife and biodiversity but also support local communities by providing water resources, flood control, and carbon sequestration.