Category : Environment Conservation | Location : National | Posted on 2022-07-27 04:14:24
“The emphasis PM Shri @narendramodi ji has put on environmental protection and conservation has led to a marked improvement in how India treats its wetlands. Delighted to inform that 5 more Indian wetlands have got Ramsar recognition as wetlands of international importance,” Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said on Twitter.
India has the largest number of Ramsar sites in Asia, according to data available with the ministry. A wetland is an ecosystem flooded by water, seasonally or permanently.
Under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation of wetlands, contracting parties are expected to identify and place suitable wetlands onto the ‘list of wetlands of international importance’, also known as the Ramsar List.
The convention has several mechanisms to help parties designate their most significant wetlands as Ramsar Sites, and to take the steps necessary to manage them effectively by maintaining their ecological character.
“Ramsar Sites are designated because they meet the criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance. The first criterion refers to sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types, and the other eight cover sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity. These criteria emphasize the importance the convention places on sustaining biodiversity,” the convention’s website states.
The Pichavaram mangrove, for instance, which got the Ramsar tag on April 8 this year, is one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in India with littoral and swamp forest habitats, located between the estuaries of the Vellar and Kollidam rivers. Trees here are permanently rooted under a few feets of water.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indias-ramsar-sites-rise-to-54-as-5-wetlands-get-international-importance-tag-101658833212925.html
