India Adds Three Wetlands to Ramsar List

India has added three new wetlands to its Ramsar list, bringing the total to 85 sites, as announced by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on August 14, 2024. The newly designated sites include the Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, and the Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh. This development reflects the Indian government's ongoing commitment to environmental conservation, significantly increasing the number of Ramsar sites from 26 in 2013 to 85 today, with 59 being added since 2014. The total area covered by these Ramsar sites now stands at approximately 1.36 million hectares. Yadav emphasized the importance of wetlands for biodiversity and their role in maintaining ecological balance. The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971, aims to promote sustainable management of wetlands worldwide.