What is the Ramsar Convention Iran?

The Ramsar Convention is a global agreement created in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, to encourage the protection and sustainable use of wetlands around the world.

How many ramsar site in India 2026?

As of oct 2026, India has designated 103 wetlands as Ramsar Sites, recognized for their international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Name of the First ramsar sites in India?

Chilika lake is the first ramsar site in india designated in1981

Which state is the highest number of Ramsar site in India?

Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar sites in India, with a total of 20 sites.

Name the Largest ramsar site in India?

Sundarban is the Largest Ramsar site in India

Ramsar Sites in India 2026 List: Names, Check State-wise List

Table of Contents

Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention, a global treaty for wetland conservation. India, with its diverse ecosystems and abundant water resources, is home to 103 Ramsar Sites as of 2026, making it one of the countries with the highest number of internationally recognized wetlands. These sites support millions of migratory birds and aquatic species, and provide critical ecosystem services to local communities.

This comprehensive guide covers all 103 Ramsar Sites in India, their locations, types, and ecological significance.

Read: National Parks in India 2026

What is a Ramsar Site?

The Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. A Ramsar Site is designated based on criteria including:

Importance as habitats for water birds
Support for fish populations and aquatic biodiversity
Hydrological, biological, or ecological significance
Economic, cultural, or recreational value

India is the 4th largest Ramsar site signatory country globally, with wetlands covering approximately 15.89 million hectares.

Total Ramsar Sites in India (2026)

Total Ramsar Sites in India (as of Oct 2026): 103

Latest Ramsar Sites in India

S. No.	Ramsar Site	State / UT	Type of Wetland	River / Basin	Key Biodiversity / Flyway	Major Significance
1	Sukhna Wetland (newest)	Chandigarh	Peri-urban reservoir	Sukhna catchment, Shivalik foothills	Central Asian Flyway; Common Pochard, Pallas’s Fish Eagle	Regulates sediment and water flows; supports resident and migratory birds
2	Sauj Jheel (newest)	Uttar Pradesh	Shallow freshwater lake	Ganga floodplain	Sarus Crane, Greater Spotted Eagle; over 30,000 waterbirds	Bird habitat, wetland connectivity and ecological support for the surrounding landscape
3	Chhari-Dhand	Gujarat	Seasonal saline wetland	Kachchh region	Migratory waterbirds, including Common Crane	Important wintering ground and habitat in an arid landscape
4	Patna Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Freshwater marsh, woodland and grassland	Inland wetland system	178 recorded bird species; broad-snouted crocodile	Bird conservation and diverse wetland habitats
5	Kopra Jalashay	Chhattisgarh	Inland reservoir / wetland	Mahanadi basin	Waterbirds and aquatic biodiversity	Water storage, fisheries and habitat conservation
6	Gokul Jalashay	Bihar	Oxbow lake	Ganga floodplain	Resident and migratory waterbirds	Wetland biodiversity, fisheries and local livelihoods
7	Udaipur Jheel	Bihar	Oxbow lake	Ganga floodplain	Migratory birds; Common Pochard	Bird habitat and wetland conservation
8	Gogabil Lake	Bihar	Freshwater floodplain wetland	Ganga–Mahananda region	Migratory birds and aquatic fauna	Flood buffering, fisheries and ecological connectivity
9	Tawa Reservoir	Madhya Pradesh	Human-made reservoir	Tawa–Narmada basin	Migratory waterbirds	Irrigation, water supply, fisheries and bird habitat
10	Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Freshwater irrigation tank	Noyyal–Cauvery basin	Waterbirds and migratory species	Wetland habitat, water storage and groundwater recharge
11	Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Coastal wetland with brackish and freshwater habitats	Coromandel Coast drainage	Flamingos and other migratory waterbirds	Floodwater storage, aquifer recharge and coastal protection

Ramsar Sites in India

India became a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on 1 February 1982, committing to the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 provide a regulatory framework but exclude river channels, paddy fields and certain man-made water bodies used for drinking water, irrigation, aquaculture and recreation. India has over 7 lakh wetlands, covering about 4.5% of its geographical area, though most lack direct statutory protection. As of 2026, India has 103 Ramsar Sites, covering approximately 13.6 lakh hectares. The Montreux Record monitors Ramsar sites facing ecological stress, including Keoladeo National Park and Loktak Lake.

Ramsar Convention

Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty under UNESCO.
Provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
It was signed in Ramsar(Iran) on February 2, 1971. (World Wetland Day)
Partners to Ramsar Convention: Birdlife International, IUCN, Wetlands International, WWF, International Water Management Institute, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.
India joined the Ramsar Convention in 1982.

India Signs Ramsar Convention

India joined the Ramsar Convention on February 1, 1982.
The Convention has 172 member countries and protects over 2466 wetlands covering about 255 million hectares.
It designates important wetlands as “Wetlands of International Importance” and encourages countries to work together on shared wetlands and species.
The Convention also promotes the wise use of wetlands, focusing on conservation and sustainable use for the benefit of both people and nature.

Also Read: Wetland Conservation

List of Ramsar Sites in India 2026

No.	Ramsar site	State/UT	Key feature
1	Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Flamingos, blackbuck and coastal habitats
2	Karikili Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Freshwater tanks and migratory birds
3	Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest	Tamil Nadu	Urban freshwater marsh near Chennai
4	Pichavaram Mangrove	Tamil Nadu	Mangroves between the Vellar and Coleroon estuaries
5	Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve	Tamil Nadu	Dugongs, sea turtles and coral reefs
6	Vembannur Wetland Complex	Tamil Nadu	Freshwater wetland and bird habitat
7	Vellode Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Irrigation tank supporting waterbirds
8	Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Migratory bird breeding and staging ground
9	Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	One of India’s oldest bird sanctuaries
10	Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Breeding habitat for resident and migratory birds
11	Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Nesting habitat for waterbirds
12	Suchindram–Theroor Wetland Complex	Tamil Nadu	Wetland on the Central Asian Flyway
13	Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Reservoir supporting migratory birds
14	Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Colonial nesting birds
15	Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Freshwater irrigation wetland
16	Longwood Shola Reserve Forest	Tamil Nadu	Montane forest wetland in the Nilgiris
17	Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Reservoir also known as Sarkar Periyapalayam
18	Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Brackish wetland connected to the Bay of Bengal
19	Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Freshwater wetland near Ramanathapuram
20	Therthangal Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Migratory waterbird habitat
21	Ashtamudi Wetland	Kerala	Major estuarine wetland
22	Sasthamkotta Lake	Kerala	Major freshwater lake
23	Vembanad–Kol Wetland	Kerala	Large lake system; Nehru Trophy Boat Race
24	Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary	Karnataka	Riverine islands in the Kaveri River
25	Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve	Karnataka	Human-made tank supporting waterbirds
26	Aghanashini Estuary	Karnataka	Estuarine ecosystem and traditional gazni rice fields
27	Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve	Karnataka	Reservoir important for bar-headed geese
28	Kolleru Lake	Andhra Pradesh	Freshwater lake between the Krishna and Godavari deltas
29	Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary	Gujarat	Shallow wetland supporting migratory birds
30	Wadhvana Wetland	Gujarat	Reservoir important for wintering waterfowl
31	Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary	Gujarat	Shallow freshwater reservoir
32	Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary	Gujarat	Freshwater and coastal habitats
33	Chhari-Dhand	Gujarat	Seasonal Kutch wetland and desert bird habitat
34	Nandur Madhameshwar	Maharashtra	Wetland at the Godavari–Kadwa confluence
35	Lonar Lake	Maharashtra	Meteorite-impact crater lake
36	Thane Creek	Maharashtra	Coastal wetland and flamingo habitat
37	Nanda Lake	Goa	Freshwater wetland in the Zuari basin
38	Upper Ganga River (Brijghat–Narora)	Uttar Pradesh	Ganges river dolphin and gharial habitat
39	Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Freshwater wetland and migratory birds
40	Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Twin oxbow lakes
41	Saman Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Seasonal wetland for migratory birds
42	Samaspur Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Freshwater wetland and waterbirds
43	Sandi Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Marshland and migratory waterfowl
44	Sarsai Nawar Jheel	Uttar Pradesh	Sarus crane habitat
45	Sur Sarovar	Uttar Pradesh	Keetham Lake near Agra
46	Haiderpur Wetland	Uttar Pradesh	Wetland associated with the Madhya Ganga Barrage
47	Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Natural floodplain wetland
48	Patna Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Wetland supporting birds
49	Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh	Freshwater lake and bird habitat
50	Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal)	Uttar Pradesh	Freshwater wetland near Ballia
51	Sauj Jheel	Uttar Pradesh	Shallow floodplain lake near the Ganga
52	Sultanpur National Park	Haryana	Migratory bird wintering ground
53	Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary	Haryana	Large human-made freshwater wetland
54	Harike Wetland	Punjab	Confluence of the Beas and Sutlej
55	Kanjli Wetland	Punjab	Wetland associated with Kali Bein
56	Ropar Wetland	Punjab	Reservoir on the Sutlej River
57	Beas Conservation Reserve	Punjab	Indus river dolphin habitat
58	Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary	Punjab	Reservoir in the Shiwalik foothills
59	Keshopur–Miani Community Reserve	Punjab	Marshes, ponds and agricultural wetlands
60	Asan Conservation Reserve	Uttarakhand	Asan–Yamuna confluence wetland
61	Sukhna Wetland	Chandigarh	Urban reservoir at the Outer Himalayan foothills
62	Pong Dam Lake	Himachal Pradesh	Reservoir on the Beas River
63	Chandertal Wetland	Himachal Pradesh	High-altitude lake in Spiti
64	Renuka Wetland	Himachal Pradesh	Lake with springs and karst formations
65	Wular Lake	Jammu and Kashmir	Major tectonic freshwater lake
66	Hokersar Wetland	Jammu and Kashmir	Wintering habitat for migratory birds
67	Surinsar–Mansar Lakes	Jammu and Kashmir	Twin lakes and wildlife sanctuary
68	Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve	Jammu and Kashmir	Migratory bird habitat
69	Shallabugh Wetland Conservation Reserve	Jammu and Kashmir	Staging ground for migratory ducks
70	Tso Moriri	Ladakh	High-altitude lake and black-necked crane habitat
71	Tso Kar Wetland Complex	Ladakh	Saline Tso Kar and freshwater Startsapuk Tso

No.	Ramsar site	State/UT	Key feature
72	Kabartal Wetland (Kanwar Lake)	Bihar	Large freshwater oxbow wetland
73	Nagi Bird Sanctuary	Bihar	Reservoir supporting wintering birds
74	Nakti Bird Sanctuary	Bihar	Reservoir and important bird habitat
75	Gokul Jalashay	Bihar	Freshwater wetland supporting waterbirds
76	Udaipur Jheel	Bihar	Wetland near Udaipur Wildlife Sanctuary
77	Gogabil Lake	Bihar	Oxbow lake and Important Bird Area
78	Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary	Jharkhand	Barhel and Pataura wetlands
79	East Kolkata Wetlands	West Bengal	Wastewater-fed aquaculture ecosystem
80	Sundarban Wetland	West Bengal	Extensive mangrove forest and tiger habitat
81	Chilika Lake	Odisha	Large brackish lagoon and Irrawaddy dolphin habitat
82	Bhitarkanika Mangroves	Odisha	Mangroves and saltwater crocodiles
83	Ansupa Lake	Odisha	Freshwater oxbow lake formed by the Mahanadi
84	Tampara Lake	Odisha	Freshwater lake and flood-regulation role
85	Hirakud Reservoir	Odisha	Reservoir on the Mahanadi River
86	Satkosia Gorge	Odisha	Riverine ecosystem in the Eastern Ghats
87	Kopra Jalashay	Chhattisgarh	Reservoir in the upper Mahanadi catchment
88	Bhoj Wetland	Madhya Pradesh	Upper and Lower Lakes in Bhopal
89	Sirpur Wetland	Madhya Pradesh	Urban wetland and bird habitat
90	Yashwant Sagar	Madhya Pradesh	Reservoir important for waterbirds
91	Sakhya Sagar	Madhya Pradesh	Reservoir inside Madhav National Park
92	Tawa Reservoir	Madhya Pradesh	Reservoir at the Tawa–Denwa confluence
93	Keoladeo National Park	Rajasthan	Internationally important migratory bird habitat
94	Sambhar Lake	Rajasthan	India’s largest inland salt lake
95	Menar Wetland Complex	Rajasthan	Community-led village wetland conservation
96	Siliserh Lake	Rajasthan	Historic reservoir near Alwar
97	Khichan Wetland	Rajasthan	Famous for wintering demoiselle cranes
98	Deepor Beel	Assam	Freshwater lake and stormwater basin for Guwahati
99	Loktak Lake	Manipur	Floating phumdis and Keibul Lamjao National Park
100	Pala Wetland	Mizoram	Natural wetland supporting wildlife
101	Rudrasagar Lake	Tripura	Freshwater lake and migratory bird habitat
102	Glaw Lake	Arunachal Pradesh	High-altitude wetland with rich plant diversity
103	Sauj Jheel	Uttar Pradesh	Sarus Crane (Grus antigone), Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga)

Complete State-wise Distribution of Ramsar Sites in India 2026

Top States with Most Ramsar Sites

Rank	State/UT	Number of Sites	Key Sites
1	Tamil Nadu	20	Pichavaram Mangrove, Gulf of Mannar, Point Calimere
2	Uttar Pradesh	14	Upper Ganga River, Saman Bird Sanctuary, Bakhira Sanctuary, Sauj Jheel
3	Odisha	6	Chilika Lake, Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Satkosia Gorge
4	Punjab	6	Harike Wetland, Ropar Wetland, Kanjli Wetland
5	Bihar	6	Kanwar Lake, Nagi Bird Sanctuary, Nakti Bird Sanctuary
6	Gujarat	5	Nalsarovar, Khijadiya Wildlife Sanctuary, Chhari-Dhand
7	Jammu & Kashmir	5	Wular Lake, Hokersar Wetland, Surinsar-Mansar Lakes
8	Madhya Pradesh	5	Bhoj Wetland, Tawa Reservoir, Sakhya Sagar
9	Rajasthan	5	Keoladeo National Park, Sambhar Lake, Khichan Wetland
10	Karnataka	4	Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Aghanashini Estuary, Magadi Kere

Conservation Efforts and Future Outlook

Government Initiatives

National Wetlands Conservation Programme – Provides grants for wetland restoration
Wetlands Under Wise Use – Promotes sustainable use of wetland resources
Ramsar Site Management Plans – Individual conservation strategies for each site
Community Involvement – Local communities participate in wetland management

NGO and International Support

Organizations like WWF-India, IUCN, and Birdlife International actively work on wetland conservation and species protection across Ramsar Sites.

Additional Protected Areas in India

While national parks form the core of India’s wildlife protection, the country maintains an extensive network of wildlife sanctuaries. India currently has 544 Wildlife Sanctuaries across the country, complementing the national park system in conserving the nation’s biodiversity.

Other Protected Categories

Wildlife Sanctuaries: Protect specific species or habitats with less restrictive regulations than national parks.
Biosphere Reserves: Protect representative ecosystems and promote sustainable development and scientific research.
Tiger Reserves: Specifically designated for tiger conservation across critical habitat areas.