Tamil Nadu now boasts the highest number of Ramsar sites in the country, with the addition of two new bird sanctuaries to the list.
The State government had submitted proposals seeking the Ramsar site tag for the Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary in Tiruppur district and the Kaliveli Bird Sanctuary in Villupuram. The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, and the Ramsar Sites Secretariat accepted them, and both the places have been designated as Ramsar sites.
Sustainable use
The total number of such sites in the State stands at 18. A Ramsar site denotes a wetland of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention, an inter-governmental treaty established by the UNESCO in 1971 and effective from 1975. It promotes efforts to conserve wetlands and use their resources sustainably, focusing on wetlands that are crucial for biodiversity, especially those that are waterfowl habitats.
Among the prominent Ramsar wetlands in Tamil Nadu are the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur, the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve in Ramanathapuram, and the Vembannur Wetland Complex in Kanniyakumari. The Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli, and the Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest in Chennai are also significant Ramsar sites.
The criteria for the designation include representation of unique or rare wetland types, support for vulnerable or endangered species, and provision for critical life stages of plants and animals. Wetlands are also valued for supporting large populations of waterbirds or significant fish resources, such as spawning grounds and migration paths.
Jayashree Vencatesan, founder of Care Earth Trust, said receiving the Ramsar tag was merely the beginning, not the end. “It signifies a commitment to further enhance and maintain the wetland. Strict adherence to the Integrated Management Plan for each wetland is essential,” she added.
She highlighted that the Ramsar Convention takes two issues seriously — reduction in wetland area due to fragmentation or construction, and a significant decline in bird diversity.
