Protected Areas in News

Ramsar Sites in News ...... 2 About ...... 2 Haiderpur ...... 2 Tso Kar Wetland Complex ...... 2 Kabartal Wetland ...... 3 Nandur Madhameshwar ...... 4 Saman Sanctuary (Mainpuri, UP) ...... 4 (, UP) ...... 4 (, UP) ...... 4 (, UP) ...... 4 Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary (UP) ...... 4 Sarsai Nawar Jheel (, UP) ...... 5 Beas Conservation Reserve (Punjab) ...... 6 Keshopur- Miani Community Reserve (Punjab)...... 6 Asan Conservation Reserve ...... 6 ...... 6

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Ramsar Sites in News

About  Ramsar Convention • It was signed in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar and is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord for preserving the ecological character of . • It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. • Its aim 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 declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention. • It came into force for on 1st February, 1982. Those wetlands which are of international importance are declared as Ramsar sites.  Montreux Record • Montreux Record under the Ramsar Convention is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. • It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List. • Currently, two wetlands of India are in Montreux record: () and Loktak (). • () was placed in the record but was later removed from it.

Haiderpur wetland  The forest department in is working along with conservation organisations to eventually make the Haiderpur wetland in Muzaffarnagar district a Ramsar site.  Fed by the Ganga and Solani rivers, the wetland came into existence in 1984 after the construction of the Madhya Ganga Barrage on the former.  It is spread over 1,214 hectares.  It is located within the boundaries of the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.  It is an importantstopover destination for winter migratory like the Greylag goose and the Bar-headed goose.  The Haidepurwetland has been identified under NamamiGange, a flagship programme of the launched in 2014, as a model wetland along the Ganga.

Tso Kar Wetland Complex  Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude wetland complex, consisting of two principal waterbodies, Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake and Tso Kar itself, a hyper saline lake, situated in the Changthang region of , India.  It is called Tso Kar, meaning white lake, because of the white salt efflorescence found on the margins due to the evaporation of highly saline water.  It is also an Important Bird Area (IBA) as per BirdLife International and a key staging site in the Central Asian Flyway.

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Kabartal Wetland  It is known as Kanwar Jheel, it covers 2,620 hectares of the Indo-Gangetic plains in the Begusarai district of .  It acts as a vital flood buffer for the region besides providing livelihood opportunities to local communities.  It is also a valuable site for fish biodiversity with over 50 species documented.  It is an important stopover along the Central Asian Flyway, with 58 migratory waterbirds using it to rest and refuel.  Five critically endangered species inhabit the site, including three vultures – the red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) – and two waterbirds, the sociable lapwing (Vanellusgregarius) and Baer’s pochard (Aythyabaeri).

NandurMadhameshwar  It is the first Ramsar site in .  It is a mosaic of , marshes and riparian forest on the Deccan Plateau. Construction of the NandurMadhameshwar Weir at the confluence of the Godavari and Kadwa Rivers helped create a thriving wetland.  Its diverse habitats contrast with the surrounding semi-arid conditions caused by the rain shadow of the Western mountain range.  It provides sanctuary to critically endangered species including Deolali minnow (a fish), Indian vulture and white-rumped vulture.

Saman Bird Sanctuary (Mainpuri, UP)  It is a seasonal oxbow lake on the floodplain.  The Sanctuary is particularly important as a wintering site for many migrants including the greylag goose, with over 1% of the South Asian population present during winter.

Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao, UP)  It is a shallow marshland. Monsoon rains feed this diverse wetland while the Sarda Canal supplies additional water. The Sanctuary supports recreation and tourism activities as well as local biodiversity.  The highly invasive common water hyacinth poses a threat, as does the removal of timber from the forests.  It is known to host Siberian cranes among migratory bird species that rest here during the winter months.

Samaspur Bird Sanctuary (Raebareli, UP)  It is a perennial lowland marsh typical of the Indo-Gangetic Plains in Uttar Pradesh.  Its six connected lakes are heavily dependent on monsoon rains.  The Sanctuary harbours threatened species such as the endangered Egyptian vulture and Pallas’s fish eagle and more than 1% of the South Asian population of the vulnerable common pochard.  A tall grass called “Sarpat” is also found in bunches at every spot.

Sandi Bird Sanctuary (Hardoi, UP)  It is a freshwater marsh, also designated as Important Bird Area by Birdlife International.  The Sandi Bird sanctuary is also known by its ancient name as “DaharJheel” (Jheel = Lake).  River Garra, formerly known as Garun Ganga, passes near the sanctuary.  It is home to over 1% of the South Asian populations of common teal, red-crested pochard and ferruginous duck while vulnerable has a population of 200 individuals within the Sanctuary.  The Sanctuary dried out leading to a subsequent collapse in waterbird populations from 2014 to 2015.

Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary (UP)  It is a permanent freshwater environment consisting of two oxbow lakes.  They are rain-fed lakes in a deep natural depression in the Gangetic plains of the terai region of Uttar Pradesh.

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 The Sanctuary is a refuge for some of India’s threatened vulture species: the critically endangered white- rumped vulture and Indian vulture and the endangered Egyptian vulture have all been recorded.  Invasive species such as the common water hyacinth along with the development of roads and railways present significant threats.

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SarsaiNawarJheel (Etawah, UP)  This typical wetland of the Indo-Gangetic floodplain in Uttar Pradesh is fed by precipitation run-off from the South West monsoon rains.  It is an example of co-habitation of humans and wildlife: farming practices across most of the Site play important roles in sustaining the waterbird habitats.  A particular beneficiary is the vulnerable sarus crane, with a population of 400 individuals making up the largest flock in the region. Other threatened species present include the critically endangered white-rumped vulture and endangered woolly-necked stork.  It is recognized by Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area.

Beas Conservation Reserve (Punjab)  It is a 185-kilometre stretch of the Beas River majorly in Punjab. The River is dotted with islands, sand bars and braided channels creating a complex environment supporting substantial biodiversity.  The Reserve hosts the only known population in India of the endangered Indus river dolphin. Further threatened species include the endangered masheer and hog deer as well as the vulnerable smooth-coated otter.  A programme was initiated to re-introduce the critically endangered gharial.

Keshopur- Miani Community Reserve (Punjab)  It is a mosaic of natural marshes, aquaculture ponds and agricultural wetlands maintained by the annual rainfall runoff.  It is heavily human influenced and includes a series of managed fishponds and cultivated crops such as lotus and chestnut.  The Site is an example of wise use of a community-managed wetland, which provides food for people and supports local biodiversity.  Threatened species present include the vulnerable common pochard and the endangered spotted pond turtle.

Asan Conservation Reserve  Recently, it was added to the Ramsar List, making it 's first Ramsar Site  ACR is a 444-hectare stretch of the Asan River running down to its confluence with the River in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand.  The damming of the River by the in 1967 resulted in siltation above the dam wall, which helped to create some of the Site’s bird-friendly habitats.  These habitats support 330 species of birds including the critically endangered red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Baer’s pochard (Aythyabaeri).  Other non-avian species present include 49 fish species, one of these being the endangered Putitora mahseer (Tor putitora).

Sundarbans  The Sundarbans comprises hundreds of islands and a network of rivers, tributaries and creeks in the delta of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal in India and Bangladesh.  Located on the southwestern part of the delta, the Indian Sundarban constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area.  It is the 27th Ramsar Site in India, and with an area of 4,23,000 hectares is now the largest protected wetland in the country.  The Indian Sundarban, also a UNESCO world heritage site, is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger.  It is also home to a large number of “rare and globally threatened species, such as the critically endangered northern river terrapin (Batagurbaska), the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaellabrevirostris), and the vulnerable fishing cat (Prionailurusviverrinus).”

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 Two of the world’s four horseshoe crab species, and eight of India’s 12 species of kingfisher are also found here. Recent studies claim that the Indian Sundarban is home to 2,626 faunal species and 90% of the country’s mangrove varieties.

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