- Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
- Adopted in 1971 at Ramsar and came into force in 1975.
- It is an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
- Criteria For Declaring
- Contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type.
- Supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species; or threatened ecological communities.
- Supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region.
- Supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles or provides refuge during adverse conditions.
- Regularly supports 20,000 or more water birds.
- Segularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of water birds.
- Supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies.
- It is an important source of food for fish, a spawning ground, nursery, and/or migration path.
- It is an important source of food and water resources, increased possibilities for recreation and eco-tourism, etc.
Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary
- Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
- It is a freshwater perennial water body present in the Gangetic plains.
- It acts as a crucial stopover on the Central Asian Flyway.
Source: PIB