Context: Union Minister for Environment addressed the national level celebration of World Wetlands day 2022 held at Sultanpur National Park, a Ramsar site of Haryana.
Key takeaways
World Wetlands Day is observed every year on February 2nd all over the world.
It is celebrated to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet.
This day also marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
Theme of World Wetlands Day: “Wetlands Action for People and Nature”,
New Ramsar sites
Two new Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance), Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in U.P were also announced
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in UP provides a safe wintering and staging ground for a large number of species of the Central Asian Flyway.
Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is a coastal wetland with rich avifaunal diversity providing a safe habitat to endangered and vulnerable species.
India now has a network of 49 Ramsar sites covering an area of 10,93,636 hectares, the highest in South Asia.
