RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS

(WEALTH UNDER DIRT)

(Feb 2nd 1971),Iran

Official name of the treaty- Convention on wetlands of international importance especially as
water fowl habitat

Date of convention- 2nd feb 1971

Base of convention- MAR conference

Contracting parties- 160 countries

No. of wetlands at present- 1634

Area occupied- 145 million hectare

INTRODUCTION

The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) is an intergovernmental treaty whose mission
is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and
international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development
throughout the world”.

Wetlands include a wide variety of habitats such as marshes, peat lands, floodplains or water
whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary with water static or flowing, fresh or
brakish or salt including area of marine water the depth of which low tide does not exceed 6m.

The initial call for an international convention on wetlands came in 1962 during MAR
conference

The MAR Conference was organized by Dr Luc Hoffmann, with the participation of the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (now IUCN–The
World Conservation Union), the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau, IWRB
(now Wetlands International), and the International Council for Bird Preservation, ICBP (now
BirdLife International), and was held in Les Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer in the French Camargue,
12-16 November 1962.
An international meeting organized by Mr Eskander Firouz, Director of Iran’s Game and Fish
Department, and held in the Caspian seaside resort of Ramsar in Iran, the text of the Convention
was agreed on 2 February 1971 and signed by the delegates of 18 nations the next day.

3) WITH
PARTICIPATION
OF IUCN,IWRB
ICBP IN NOV,1962 AT
DR. LUC HOFFMAN
ST.MARIES
4) AFTER
4) AFTER MAR
MAR CONFRENCE
CONFRENCE

2) ORGANISED
BY

MR.ESKANDER
FIROUZ ORGANISED
CONVENTION ON A MEETING
WETLANDS 5) CASPIAN SEA
AT SEARESORT
SIDE SIDE OF
MAR CONFRENCE 1) INITIAL CALL FOR RESORT OF
RAMSIR
CONVENTION
RAMSAR
MISSION TEXT OF
CONVENTION
WAS AGREED ON
FEB,2,1971

the conservation and wise use

of all wetlands
through local,
regional and national actions
and international cooperation,
as a contribution towards achieving
sustainable development
throughout the world”.
 FUNCTIONS AND VALUES OF WETLANDS

Functions of wetlands:-

The interactions of physical, biological and chemical components of a wetland, such as soils,
water, plants and animals, enable the wetland to perform many vital functions such as:-
1) Water storage
2) Storm protection and flood mitigation
3) Shoreline stabilization and erosion control
4) Groundwater recharge (the movement of water from the wetland down into the
underground aquifer);
5) Groundwater discharge (the movement of water upward to become surface water in a
wetland);
6) Water purification;
7) Retention of nutrients
8) Retention of sediments
9) Retention of pollutants
Values
Wetlands frequently provide tremendous economic benefits, for example:-
1) Water supply (quantity and quality);
2) Fisheries (over two thirds of the world’s fish harvest is linked to the health of wetland areas);
3) Agriculture, through the maintenance of water tables and nutrient retention in floodplains;
4) Timber and other building materials;
5) Energy resources, such as peat and plant matter;
6) Wildlife resources;
7) Transport;
8) A wide range of other wetland products, including herbal medicines;
9) Recreation and tourism opportunities.

STRCTURE OF CONVENTION
1) Conference of contracting parties
2) Standing committee
3) The secretariat

CONFERENCE
OF
CONTRACTING
PARTIES

POLICY MAKERS
HEADQUARTERS
AT IUCN

SECRETRIAT STANDING
COMITTEE
ORGANISES THE
MEETINGS OF COP
1) Conference of contracting parties (COP) - The Conference of the Contracting Parties
(COP) is the policy-making organ of the Convention. Government representatives from each
of the Contracting Parties meet every three years to
Receive national reports on the preceding triennium; approve the work programme and
budgetary arrangements for the next three years.
Representatives of non-member States, intergovernmental institutions, and national and
international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may participate in these meetings as
non-voting observers

2) Standing committee- The Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention is the

intercessional executive body which represents the COP between its triennial meetings,
within the framework of the decisions made by the COP. The Contracting Parties that are
members of the SC are elected by each meeting of the COP to serve for the three years until
the next one.

There are 15 members from 60 contracting parties

1) One representative for regional groups with 1 to 12 Contracting Parties

2) Two representatives for regional groups with 13 to 24 Contracting Parties
3) Three representatives for regional groups with 25 to 36 Contracting Parties
4) Four representatives for regional groups with 37 to 48 Contracting Parties
5) Five representatives for regional groups with 49 to 60 Contracting Parties

3) The Secretariat -The Ramsar Convention Secretariat carries out the day-to- day activities
of COP and is considered to be employees of IUCN.

The Secretariat is headed by a Secretary General who answers to the Standing Committee

Functions of Secretariat

1) Maintain the List of Wetlands of International Importance and note any additions and
changes to the List and the Ramsar Sites

2) Assist in convening and organizing the Conference of the Parties, the meetings of the
Standing Committee

3) Provide administrative, scientific, and technical support to Contracting

Parties, especially in relation to the implementation of the Ramsar Strategic Plan

4) Assist in recruiting new Contracting Parties

5) Make known the decisions, Resolutions, and Recommendations of the COP and the
Standing Committee
COMMITMENT OF STATES IN CONVENTION
States that join the Convention accept four main commitments, which are:
1) Listed sites (Article 2)- The first obligation under the Convention is for a Party to
designate at least one wetland at the time of accession for inclusion in the List of
Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”) and to promote its
conservation, a Selection for the Ramsar List should be based on the wetland’s
significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology, or hydrology.
2) Wise use(Article 3)- Wise use of wetland is the maintenance of their ecological character
achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approach within the context of
sustainable development
3) Reserve and training(Article 4)- Contracting Parties have also undertaken to establish
nature reserves in wetlands, whether or not they are included in the Ramsar List, and they
are also expected to promote training in the fields of wetland research, management and
widening
4) International cooperation(Article 5)- Contracting Parties have also agreed to consult
with other Contracting Parties about implementation of the Convention, especially in
regard to transboundary wetlands, shared water systems, and shared species

Indian Wetlands & Budget

At present India has 27 wetlands in 15 states out of them 19 have been designated as Ramsar
wetlands of international importance and Information on six more sites, viz., Renuka &
Chandertal (H.P.),Hokera & Surinsar/-Mansar (J&K), Pulicat (A.P) and Rudrasagar (Tripura)
has been sent to Ramsar Bureau for being designated as Ramsar sites and data on six more
sites, viz., Nalsarovar and Rann of Kutch (Gujarat), Upper Ganga (U.P.), Pangong. Tso
(J&K), Thane Creek Maharashtra) and Sunderbans (W.Bengal) has been collected and
theirmaps have been sent to Survey of India beforesending to Ramsar Bureau. This will fulfill
our commitment made in CoP7 meeting held in Coasta Rica in May, 1999 where India
committed to declare twenty five more sites as Ramsar sites of international importance
during the present triennium. India has achieved this feat within the stipulated time.….
Swiss franc is used as currency and 1thousand Swiss frank are paid by contracting parties.

WETLAND STATE
ROPAR PUNJAB
SAMBHAR LAKE RAJASTHAN
CHILIKA ORISSA
WULAR J&K
BHOJ WETLAND MP
PONG DAM LAKE HP
DISTRIBUTION OF WETLANDS IN INDIA

CLASSIFICATION OF WETLANDS
1) Inland wetlands

 Inland deltas
 Rivers, streams
 Waterfalls
 Permanent freshwater lakes
 Freshwater peat lands
 Alpine and tundra wetlands
2) Marine/coastal wetlands

 Permanent shallow marine water

 Marine sub tidal aquatic beds

 Coral reefs

 Estuarine waters

 Intertidal mud or sand

 Coastal brackish/saline lagoons

3) Human made wetlands

 Aquaculture

 Ponds

 Irrigated land

 Dams

 Canals/channels

Selected terms and types of wetlands

Peat accumulation usually dominated by moss. Receives only direct precipitation;

Bog
characterized by acid water, low alkalinity, and low nutrients.

Peat accumulation; may be dominated by sedge, reed, shrub or forest. Receives

Fen
some surface runoff and/or ground water, which has neutral pH and high nutrients.

Marsh Permanently or periodically inundated site characterized by nutrient-rich water.

Swamp . Depends on nutrient-rich ground water derived from mineral soils.

 CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION OF WETLAND OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE

GROUP A GROUP B

Rare or unique wetlands For conserving biodiversity

Criteria 1A
REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE OF
NATURAL WETLAND TYPE

GROUP B

BASED ON SPECIES AND WATER BIRDS FISH OTHER TEXA

ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY CRITERIA (5-6) A CRITERIA (7-8) A CRITERIA(9)A

CRITERIA (2-4) A

 CRITERION 5A-  CRITERION 7A-  CRITERION

 CRITERION 2A- SUPPORTS
SUPPORTS 20,000 OR SUPPORTS 9A-
THREATENED ECOLOGICAL
MORE WATERBIRDS INDIGENOUS FISH SUPPORTS
COMMUNITIES
POPULATION 1%
 CRITERION 6A- 1%
 CRITERION 3A- SUPPORTS INDIVIDUALS
INDIVIDUALS OF 1  CRITERION 8A- FOOD
SPECIES OF PLANTS AND
SPECIES SOURCE OF NON
ANIMALS FOR MAINTAINING
AVIAN
BIODIVERSITY
SPECIES
 CRITERION 4A- PROVIDE
REFUGE DURING ADVERSE
CONDITIONS
 CONCLUSION
A wetland is an area of ground that is saturated with water either permanently or
seasonally. Wetlands are categorized by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these
unique soil conditions. The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater, or brackish.
Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs. Wetlands have also been described as ecotones,
providing a transition between dry land and water bodies. Ramsar Convention is an
intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international
cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Ramsar
Convention is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem. The
treaty was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and the Convention's member countries
cover all geographic regions of the planet. India has 27 wetlands in 15 states out of them 19 have
been designated as Ramsar wetlands of international importance and Information on six more
sites, viz., Renuka & Chandertal (H.P.),Hokera & Surinsar/-Mansar (J&K), Pulicat (A.P) and
Rudrasagar (Tripura) has been sent to Ramsar Bureau for being designated as Ramsar sites. As
Ramsar convention laid stress on the protection of wetlands of international importance and their
sustainable use so we can say that wetlands are important part of ecosystem. Its our duty to
protect the wetlands as they are breeding and feeding ground for many animals and birds and
they are important part of ecological processes….