Ramsar Sites in India: Map, State-wise List & Key Facts [2025]

Ramsar Sites in India are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

As of 2025, India has 89 Ramsar Sites, the third highest in the world, following the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144). These sites span a variety of wetland ecosystems, including freshwater lakes, marshes, mangroves, estuaries, and even high-altitude lakes.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of Ramsar Sites in India, including a PDF map, state-wise list, and key facts—useful for competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, and State PCS.

Newly Added Ramsar Sites in India

In February 2025, four new sites were added to the list of Ramsar Sites in India, bringing the total number to 89. These sites are:

1. Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
2. Therthangal Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
3. Khecheopalri Wetland (Sikkim)
4. Udhwa Lake (Jharkhand)

With these additions, both Sikkim and Jharkhand received their first Ramsar site designations, while the total number of Ramsar sites in Tamil Nadu rose to 20 — the highest in the country, well ahead of second-placed Uttar Pradesh, which has 10 sites.

Ramsar Convention

• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty for “the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.”
• It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands.
• The convention is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where it was signed on February 2, 1971. Since then, February 2 is celebrated annually as World Wetlands Day.
• There are 172 parties to the Ramsar Convention (COP).
• A site can be declared as a Ramsar Site if it meets any one of the nine criteria set under the Ramsar Convention.
• When a country accedes to the Ramsar Convention, it must designate at least one wetland as a Wetland of International Importance.
• The inclusion of a “Ramsar Site” in the List reflects the government’s commitment to maintaining its ecological character.
• There are over 2,400 Ramsar Sites worldwide, covering 2.5 million sq km across the territories of 172 Ramsar Contracting Parties.
• The world’s first Ramsar Site was the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia, designated in 1974.
• The countries with the most Ramsar Sites are the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144).
• Bolivia has the largest area under Ramsar protection.

State-wise List of Ramsar Sites in India

The table below provides the state-wise list of Ramsar Sites in India, along with the year in which each site was designated.

Please Note

The number in brackets after each State/UT name indicates the total number of Ramsar Sites in that State/UT.

Montreux Record

The Montreux Record is a register within the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands that identifies wetlands of international importance facing threats or ecological changes.

These are sites where ecological changes have occurred, are occurring, or may occur due to technological developments, pollution, or other human interference. They remain part of the Ramsar List (i.e., inclusion in the Montreux Record does not exclude them from the Ramsar List) and are prioritized for conservation efforts.

Two Ramsar sites from India are currently on the Montreux Record:

1. Loktak Lake (Manipur)
2. Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan)

Chilika Lake (Odisha) was removed from the Montreux Record in 2002 due to successful restoration efforts.

Key Facts about Ramsar Sites in India

• The Ramsar Convention entered into force in India on 1 February 1982.
• As of 2025, there are 89 Ramsar Sites in India covering approximately 13,60,000 hectares.
• Tamil Nadu (20) leads with the highest number of Ramsar Sites in India, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 10. Punjab and Odisha share the third position, each hosting 6 sites.
• At present, the states of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland do not have any designated Ramsar Sites.
• Top States by Area Under Ramsar Sites:
  1. West Bengal
  2. Odisha
  3. Tamil Nadu
• Goa (0.42 km²) has the smallest area under Ramsar Sites.
• Largest Ramsar Sites:
  1. Sundarban Wetland (West Bengal)
  2. Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
  3. Vembanad-Kol Wetland (Kerala)
• Smallest Ramsar Sites:
  1. Renuka Lake (Himachal Pradesh)
  2. Vembannur Wetland Complex (Tamil Nadu)
  3. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
• Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), both designated in 1981, are the oldest Ramsar Sites in India.
• Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu), Therthangal Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu), Khecheopalri Wetland (Sikkim), and Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary(Jharkhand) were added in early 2025 as the newest Ramsar Sites in India.
• With the above additions, both Sikkim and Jharkhand got their first inclusion in the Ramsar sites list.
• Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary and Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, along with Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh, were added in 2024.