On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, India became the holder of the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia by adding two more sanctuaries to the list of Ramser sites.
India’s latest entrants to Ramser sites include the Khijadiya Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.
India’s tally of Ramser wetlands now stands at 49, the largest in South Asia.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Shri Bhupendra Yadav expressed happiness over this environmental achievement.
In a tweet, he said, “India has established the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia. Happy to inform you that two more wetlands, Khijadiya Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in UP have been added to this prestigious list. Our tally now stands at 49”.
India has established the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia.
Happy to inform that two more wetlands, Khijadiya Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in UP have been added to this prestigious list.
Our tally now stands at 49. pic.twitter.com/RL6BvjtTNB
— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) February 2, 2022
Reacting to his tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed satisfaction over the inclusion of two more sites in the Ramser list.
“Excellent news! India having the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia manifests the commitment of our citizens to protect flora and fauna and live in harmony with nature”, the PM wrote on Twitter.
World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day is observed on February 2 every year to marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971.
It is aimed to raise global awareness about the importance of wetlands in the conservation of biodiversity and planet earth.’
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands across the world.
The convention derives its name from the Iranian city of Ramsar where it was signed in 1971.
Its Secretariat is based at the headquarters of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Gland, Switzerland.