List of Ramsar Sites in Uttar Pradesh in 2023

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Feb 3, 2023, 18:26

There are a total of 10 Ramsar Sites in UP. Any wetland that intends to preserve the natural ecosystem and allow utilization of resources is listed under Ramsar Sites under the Ramsar Convention. Out of the total Ramsar Sites in India Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of Ramsar Sites, with nine wetlands considered to be of international significance.

Ramsar sites include rivers, lakes, marshes, flooded forests, coral reefs, deltas, mangroves, and man-made reservoirs and ponds. While they are spread in only 6% of the Earth’s surface, about 40% of animal and plant species live in these wetlands. Here, you can check out more details about the Ramsar Sites in UP.

What are Ramsar Sites?

Ramsar Sites are a list of wetlands of global importance around the world. In 1971 in Iran, an international treaty by the name of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat was held and signed. According to this treaty, certain ecological sites were classified as Ramsar Sites.

There are a total of 48 Ramsar Sites in India. The most number of these sites in India are located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. There are a total of 10 Ramsar Sites in UP. We have shared further information about these sites here.

Ramsar Sites in UP

The Ramsar sites in India nurture the country's enormous ecological wealth, and the recent sites in UP stand to significantly enhance the state's tourism potential over the next few years. Here, we have shared information about the Ramsar Sites in UP:

  • In 2005, the upper Ganga river that stretches from Brigghat to Narora became the first wetland to acquire the status of a Ramsar Site in UP. It was the only site in UP till 2019 when six other places were given recognition.
  • Sandi Bird Sanctuary in Hardoi is a freshwater ecosystem providing habitat to over 40,000 species.
  • It is a highly popular tourist destination and supports farmers with livestock farming.Another Ramsar Site in UP is the Sarsai Nawar Jheel which is a permanent marsh located in Etawah. This wetland is an excellent example of the cohabitation of animals and plants.
  • Another popular wetland that acquired the status of Ramsar Site is a marsh in Rae Bareli named Samaspur Bird Sanctuary. Over 75,000 birds are counted annually in this sanctuary, including some endangered species. Moreover, over 45 freshwater fish species habitat the wetland.
  • Next is the Saman Bird Sanctuary, a U-shaped lake in Mainpuri that hosts more than 50000 birds every year.
  • Two such lakes form another Ramsar Site in UP, known as Parvati Agra bird sanctuary.
  • Then there is Nawabganj bird sanctuary located in Unnao, which is a heaven for birds, giving shelter to some of the most endangered species.
  • The Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, or Keetham Lake, in Agra, got the recognition of a Ramsar site in 2020. It is a man-made reservoir that boasts a rich ecosystem that provides dwelling to residents and migrating birds and over 60 species of fish.
  • The ninth Ramsar Site in UP got its status in 2021.
  • The Haiderpur wetland is home to more than 25000 birds and a refuge for migrational species. UP has about 1.2 lakh wetlands outside forests, of which about 24,000 are bigger than 2.2 hectares and should be conserved.

List of Ramsar Sites in Uttar Pradesh (Updated)

Here, we have shared the complete list of Ramsar Sites in UP. Check out the names, designation date and location of the Ramsar Sites in Uttar Pradesh here.

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Ramsar Sites in UP

Designation Date

Location

1

Bakhira Sanctuary

29-06-2021

Sant Kabir Nagar

2

Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary

19-09-2019

Unnao

3

Saman Bird Sanctuary

02-12-2019

Mainpuri

4

Sandi Bird Sanctuary

26-09-2019

Hardoi

5

Sur Sarovar

21-08-2020

Agra

6

Haiderpur Wetland

13-04-2021

Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor

7

Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary

02-12-2019

Gonda

8

Samaspur Bird Sanctuary

03-10-2019

Raebareli

9

Sarsai Nawar Jheel

19-09-2019

Etawah

10

Upper Ganga River

08-11-2005

Haridwar, Roorkee, Meerut, Bulandshahar

 

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FAQs on Ramsar Sites in Uttar Pradesh

Q1. How many Ramsar Sites are there in Uttar Pradesh?

There are a total of 10 Ramsar Sites in Uttar Pradesh. Out of the total 48 Ramsar Sites in India, Uttar Pradesh is the one state with the highest number of total Ramsar Sites. The latest Ramsar Site in UP is the Bakhira Sanctuary, which was officially added on 29-06-2021.

Q2. What are the names of the Ramsar Sites in Uttar Pradesh?

There are 10 Ramsar Sites in UP. The names of all 10 Ramsar Sites in UP are Bakhira Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Saman Bird Sanctuary, Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Sur Sarovar, Haiderpur Wetland, Upper Ganga, Sarsai Nawar Jheel, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary and Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary.

Q3. Which is the first Ramsar Site in UP?

The first Ramsar Site in UP was the Upper Ganga River. It was added to the list of Ramsar Sites in UP on 08-11-2005. The Upper Ganga River stretches from Brigghat to Narora. It was officially the first wetland to be recognized in Uttar Pradesh.

Q4. Which is the newest Ramsar Site in Uttar Pradesh?

The Haiderpur Wetland in Uttar Pradesh got recognised as the newest Ramsar Site in UP in India. The date of designation of Haiderpur Wetland as an official Ramsar Site in UP was 29-06-2021. This Ramsar Site is located near the Bijnor Ganga Barrage within the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.

Q5. Which state has the highest number of Ramsar Sites in India?

The highest number of Ramsar Sites in India are located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. There are a total of 10 Ramsar Sites in UP, namely, Bakhira Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Saman Bird Sanctuary, Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary, and more.