This week, India crossed a milestone: its 101st wetland of international importance. A remote lake in Arunachal Pradesh pushed it past the 100 mark.
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Indian Geography · IndGeo0053
India Crosses 100 Ramsar Sites
Glaw Lake, Arunachal Pradesh — site No. 101, 3 August 2026
101
Ramsar Sites — first in Asia, third in the world
1981
Chilika & Keoladeo — India’s first sites
20
Tamil Nadu’s count, most of any state
+15
New sites added across 2025-26
A moving number, not a fixed fact
India is adding Ramsar Sites faster than almost anyone — 15 in the last two years alone. Any “how many Ramsar Sites” figure needs a date attached, because it’s out of date within months.
✊ Must Know
What Makes a Wetland a Ramsar Site
- The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation of wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.
- A “Ramsar Site” is a wetland officially recognised under this convention as being of international importance.
- As of August 2026, India has 101 Ramsar Sites, the most of any country in Asia.
- Globally, India ranks third by Ramsar Site count, after the United Kingdom and Mexico.
- India’s oldest Ramsar Sites are Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan), both designated in 1981.
📘 Good to Know
India’s Ramsar Wetland Portfolio
- Tamil Nadu has more Ramsar Sites than any other Indian state, with 20 designated wetlands.
- The Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal, at about 4,230 square kilometres, is India’s largest Ramsar Site.
- Ramsar status does not replace India’s own domestic protections. Sites often already sit within a National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, or Biosphere Reserve.
- Instead, it adds international recognition, and commits India to using the site’s resources sustainably going forward.
Test Yourself
🌟 Great to Know
Notable Sites and Their Stories
- India added 15 new Ramsar Sites across 2025 and 2026 alone, reflecting a fast-accelerating pace of wetland recognition.
- This growth means the exact count is a moving target. Any Ramsar figure in exam prep should be checked against the latest official update, not assumed fixed.
- A wetland’s ecological role often extends well beyond birdwatching. Wetlands filter water, recharge groundwater, buffer floods, and store carbon.
- Many of India’s Ramsar Sites also support local livelihoods, through fishing, tourism, and traditional water-based occupations.
📰 Current Affairs
Recent Additions and Updates
- On 3 August 2026, Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh became India’s 101st Ramsar Site, and the state’s first. (Source: PIB)
- Glaw Lake sits inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Eastern Himalayas. It is home to over 150 tree species and 49 orchid species. (Source: The Arunachal Times)
- The site supports four big-cat species: tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, and snow leopard. It is also a wintering ground for the critically endangered white-bellied heron.
- Glaw Lake also holds deep cultural significance. The local Mishmi community regards it as sacred.
📝 Previous Year Questions
Wetland-Location Matching: Only Half Correct
- Correct pairs Renuka Wetland genuinely sits in Himachal Pradesh, and Rudrasagar Lake genuinely sits in Tripura.
- Wrong pairs Hokera Wetland is actually in Jammu and Kashmir, not Punjab. Sasthamkotta Lake is actually in Kerala, not Tamil Nadu.
- Answer: (b) Only two pairs.
- View this question on the full 2022 paper →
UPSC CSP 2019 — Wetlands Rules Are Not Ramsar-Mandated
- Not Mandatory The Ramsar Convention does not legally require India to protect every wetland in its territory. Statement 1 is false.
- Domestic Rules, Not Ramsar The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010 were framed under India’s own Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, not on Ramsar’s recommendation. Statement 2 is also false.
- Catchment Included The Rules do cover the drainage/catchment area around a wetland, as determined by the state authority. Statement 3 is correct.
- Answer: (c) 3 only.
- View this question.
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