Ramsar Sites

Ramsar Sites

 A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar 

Convention.

 Also known as “The Convention on Wetlands”, an international environmental treaty signed 

on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, under the auspices of UNESCO.

 It came into force on 21 December 1975, when it was ratifi ed by a suffi cient number of nations. 

 It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of 

wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources. 

 As of may 2023, India has 75 wetlands sites.

Amrit Darohar

 Amrit Dharohar initiative, part of the 2023-24 budget announcement, was launched by MoEF&CC 

to promote unique conservation values of the Ramsar Sites .

 This initiative is to be implemented in convergence with various Central Government ministries 

and agencies, State Wetland Authorities, and a network of formal and informal institutions and 

individuals, working together for a common cause.

 These fi ve wetlands are Sultanpur National Park (Haryana), Bhitarkanika Mangroves (Odisha), Chilika 

lake (Odisha), Sirpur (Madhya Pradesh) and Yashwant Sagar (Madhya Pradesh).

 The initiative to develop these sites has been taken by the Union Tourism Ministry and the 

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the Amrit Dharohar Capacity 

Building Scheme, 2023.

 The Amrit Dharohar initiative, part of the 2023-24 Budget announcement, was launched in June 

2023 to promote unique conservation values of Ramsar sites in the country while generating 

employment opportunities and supporting local livelihoods.