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India has recently added two wetlands from Bihar — Gokul Jalashay (Buxar district) and Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran district) — to the List of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
With these inclusions, India now has 93 Ramsar sites, covering a total area of 13,60,719 hectares, consolidating its position as Asia’s leading country in terms of Ramsar designations and third globally, after the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144).

About the New Ramsar Sites

1. Gokul Jalashay (Buxar District)

• Type: Oxbow lake, situated on the southern edge of the River Ganga.
• Ecological Role: Acts as a natural flood buffer, reducing inundation risk for nearby settlements.
• Biodiversity: Supports over 50 species of resident and migratory birds and provides fish breeding grounds.
• Socio-economic Importance: Local communities depend on the lake for fishing, agriculture, and irrigation, integrating ecological sustainability with livelihoods.
• Cultural Practice: Villagers collectively clean and restore the wetland annually during a traditional festival, reflecting community-led conservation.

2. Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran District)

• Type: Oxbow lake located within the Udaipur Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Biodiversity: Hosts 280 plant species, including Alysicarpus roxburghianus, an Indian endemic.
• Avifauna: Serves as a key wintering habitat for over 35 migratory bird species, notably the vulnerable Common Pochard (Aythya ferina).
• Ecological Significance: Functions as a biodiversity hotspot and climate buffer, maintaining the hydrological balance in the region.

Understanding Oxbow Lakes

• An oxbow lake is a crescent-shaped waterbody formed when a meandering river is cut off from its main channel due to erosion and deposition processes. These lakes often evolve into rich wetland ecosystems, supporting diverse aquatic flora and fauna.

About Wetlands

• Wetlands are areas where water saturation—either permanent or seasonal—creates conditions that sustain distinctive plant and animal communities.
• They include marshes, fens, peatlands, floodplains, estuaries, and even shallow marine areas (up to 6 metres deep).
• They serve as ecological ecotones, forming transitions between terrestrial and aquatic systems and offering critical ecosystem services like flood control, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity support.

The Ramsar Convention

• Adopted: 1971 at Ramsar, Iran; came into force in 1975.
• Nature: An intergovernmental treaty under the auspices of UNESCO.
• Objective: To promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
• Criteria: A site must meet at least one of nine criteria, such as supporting 20,000 or more waterbirds, or hosting endangered species.
• India’s Participation: Ratified in 1982; currently one of the most active contracting parties.

Montreux Record

The Montreux Record is a register of threatened Ramsar sites where ecological character has degraded due to human interference or pollution.

• Indian sites listed:
  1. Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan)– 1990
  2. Loktak Lake (Manipur) – 1993
• Chilika Lake (Odisha) was earlier listed in 1993 but successfully removed in 2002, becoming Asia’s first site to be delisted after restoration efforts.