Ramsar Convention

Ramsar Convention

The ‘Convention on Wetlands’ called the Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Wetlands are the only ecosystem to have a dedicated multilateral environmental agreement of their own, the Ramsar Convention. Currently, there are 172 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 2,521 wetland sites, totaling over 257,317,367 ha., designated as Wetlands of International Importance.

Under the “three pillars” of the Convention, the Contracting Parties commit to:

• work towards the wise use of all their wetlands;
• designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”) and ensure their effective management;
• cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species.

For details visit www.ramsar.org

India and the Ramsar Convention

India became a party to Ramsar Convention on 01.02.82 and so far, 85 wetlands covering 23 States & UTs have been designated as Ramsar sites.

India was a member of the Standing Committee from 1999-2002

1. List of Ramsar sites in India(245 KB)
2. Ramsar Sites of India – Factsheets(500 KB)
3. Identifying and Managing Wetlands of International Importance_ Brochure(3.4 MB)

Map of Ramsar sites in India