๐ Topic 04 of 6 ยท Chapter 05 ยท Natural Vegetation & Wildlife
Wetlands & Ramsar Sites of India
Chilika Lake, Keoladeo, Loktak, Wular Lake โ complete notes for UPSC & PSC exams.
๐ Ramsar Convention & India
- Ramsar Convention = international treaty for conservation of wetlands = signed in Ramsar, Iran (1971)
- India has 75 Ramsar sites (as of 2023) โ largest number in Asia
- First two Ramsar sites in India (1981): Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo Ghana (Rajasthan)
๐ Important Ramsar Sites of India
| Wetland | State | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Chilika Lake | Odisha | Largest coastal lagoon in India; migratory birds; Irrawaddy dolphin; first Ramsar site |
| Keoladeo Ghana (Bharatpur) | Rajasthan | Bird sanctuary; Siberian crane; UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| Loktak Lake | Manipur | Largest freshwater lake in NE India; floating islands (phumdis); Sangai deer |
| Wular Lake | J&K | Largest freshwater lake in India; Jhelum river |
| Dal Lake | J&K | Famous tourist lake; Srinagar; houseboats |
| Sambhar Lake | Rajasthan | Largest inland saltwater lake in India; flamingos |
| Kolleru Lake | Andhra Pradesh | Largest freshwater lake in South India; migratory birds |
| Deepor Beel | Assam | Only Ramsar site in Assam; migratory birds; near Guwahati |
โญ Important Lakes of India:
โข Wular Lake = largest freshwater lake in India (J&K)
โข Chilika Lake = largest coastal lagoon in India (Odisha)
โข Sambhar Lake = largest inland saltwater lake (Rajasthan)
โข Loktak Lake = largest freshwater lake in NE India (Manipur)
โข Vembanad Lake = longest lake in India (Kerala)
โข Wular Lake = largest freshwater lake in India (J&K)
โข Chilika Lake = largest coastal lagoon in India (Odisha)
โข Sambhar Lake = largest inland saltwater lake (Rajasthan)
โข Loktak Lake = largest freshwater lake in NE India (Manipur)
โข Vembanad Lake = longest lake in India (Kerala)