We all know that India has amazing biodiversity – from mountains to oceans and plateaus to deserts – we have every kind of biosphere right here!
Now, India has as many as 41 Ramsar sites – the highest in South Asia.
The 2 latest sites are highlighted in the map.
To be added as a Ramsar convention site, a wetland must be of international importance.
The two new sites added recently are:
Sur Sarovar/Keetham Lake, Uttar Pradesh
This is a manmade reservoir near Agra. This location is important for migratory birds flying to Central Asia. About 30,000 birds visit the site every year.
Lonar Lake, Buldhana, Maharashtra
This is an almost perfectly circular lake formed due to meteor impact on the basalt bedrock. Supports 160 species of birds, 46 species of reptiles, and 12 of mammals.
10 sites were added in January 2020, followed by 2 more sites later (Kanwar Lake/Kabartal in Bihar and Asan Natural Reserve in Uttarakhand), followed by these 2.