NEW DELHI: India has officially designated Glaw Lake as the country's 101st Ramsar site and the first in Arunachal Pradesh, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on Monday. The move underscores India's commitment to wetland conservation, biodiversity protection and sustainable livelihoods.
Ramsar sites are wetlands designated under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty on wetland conservation signed in Ramsar, Iran, in February 1971 under the auspices of UNESCO. The convention aims to conserve wetlands and promote their sustainable use to support global biodiversity.
India became a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention in 1982 and now has 101 Ramsar sites spread across its states and Union Territories. The United Kingdom has the highest number of Ramsar sites at 176, followed by Mexico and India.
Announcing the designation in a post on X, Yadav described it as a significant milestone for biodiversity conservation, water and climate security, and sustainable livelihoods.
"India continues her journey beyond a century in designating Ramsar sites. I am delighted to announce Glaw Lake as Arunachal Pradesh's first Ramsar site—a significant milestone for biodiversity, water and climate security, and sustainable livelihoods," he said.
Highlighting the ecological importance of the site, Yadav said Glaw Lake lies within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Eastern Himalayas biodiversity hotspot.
"Nestled within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, this pristine freshwater lake is a biodiversity hotspot. Fed by perennial mountain streams, it is surrounded by lush vegetation, with over 150 tree species and 49 orchid species recorded within the site and its catchment area," he wrote.
Yadav also noted the steady rise in the number of Ramsar sites in India since 2014, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for strengthening wetland conservation.
"From 26 Ramsar sites in 2014 to 101 today, this remarkable journey reflects our unwavering commitment to environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Every new Ramsar site strengthens our resolve to protect nature while securing the future of communities that depend on these invaluable ecosystems," he said.
Earlier this year, on June 5, Prime Minister Modi announced that the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, had been designated as India's 100th Ramsar site.
