Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

India adds 10 more wetlands designated as Ramsar sites to make total 64 sites covering an area of 12,50,361 ha in the country. 

The 10 new sites include:  

• Six (6) sites in Tamil Nadu and 
• One (1) each in Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
• Designation of these sites would help in conservation and management of wetlands and wise use of their resources.
• India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. 
• India signed it on 1st Feb 1982. So far 64 wetlands covering an area of 12,50,361 ha have been designated as Ramsar Sites of International Importance from India, till date.

10 Wetlands Designated as Ramsar sites

S.No	Name of wetland	Area in Ha	State	Date of Designation
	Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary	72.04	Tamil Nadu	08-11-2021
2	Satkosia Gorge	98196.72	Odisha	12-10-2021
3	Nanda Lake	42.01	Goa	08-06-2022
4	Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve	52671.88	Tamil Nadu	08-04-2022
5	Ranganathituu BS	517.70	Karnataka	15-02-2022
6	Vembannur Wetland Complex	19.75	Tamil Nadu	08-04-2022
7	Vellode Bird Sanctuary	77.19	Tamil Nadu	08-04-2022
8	Sirpur wetland	161	Madhya Pradesh	07-01-2022
9	Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary	40.35	Tamil Nadu	08-04-2022
10	Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary	43.77	Tamil Nadu	08-04-2022