Four more sites of India added to Ramsar list as wetlands of International importance

• Integrity Education, Delhi
• 15, Aug 2021

• The aim of the Ramsar list is “to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits”.
• Wetlands provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation.
• They are a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater.
• With the addition of these 4 sites, the number of Ramsar sites in India are 46.
• For the first time, Haryana Wetlands have been included in Ramsar Wetland Sites.

Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location: Jhajjar District, Haryana 
• It is the largest wetland in Haryana is a human-made freshwater wetland.

Sulanpur National Park

• Location: Gurugram District, Haryana
• Sultanpur National Park is a bird paradise for bird watchers.
• Park is famous for its migratory as well as resident birds.

Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary

• Thol Lake Sanctuary is made up of a reservoir that was created in 1912 as an irrigation tank when the Maharajas of Baroda (Gaekwads) ruled the region.
• The lake, and the area around, was declared a sanctuary only in 1988
• Location: Mehsana District, Gujrat

Wadhvana Wetland

• The lake is an important wetland inviting migratory birds from far off places like Siberia and Europe.
• Wadhwana is a century old tank, constructed by erstwhile King Gaikwad in 1909-10.
• Location: Vadodara District, Gujrat