National Parks, Wildlife & Biodiversity Module
Ramsar Wetlands & Biosphere Reserves
India's international conservation commitments are anchored by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971) and UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. India has designated over 80 Ramsar sites—including Keoladeo National Park, Chilika Lake, Vembanad Kol, and Sundarban Wetland—recognizing their international ecological importance for migratory waterbirds and flood buffering. Furthermore, India has established 18 Biosphere Reserves, of which 12 are included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, such as Nilgiri, Gulf of Mannar, and Sundarbans. In addition, the Western Ghats and the Himalayas are recognized as global biodiversity hotspots harboring high levels of endemism.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- The Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, provides the international treaty framework for wetland conservation; Chilika Lake and Keoladeo National Park were India's first Ramsar sites (1981).
- Vembanad Kol Wetland in Kerala is the largest Ramsar wetland site in India, spanning an area of over 1,512 square kilometres.
- Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, established in 1986 across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, was India's first Biosphere Reserve and part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
- India encompasses four globally recognized biodiversity hotspots: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region, and Sundaland (Nicobar Islands).
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretariat, UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, and MoEFCC.