'Ramsar site' is connected with

The correct answer is Wetland.

Key Points

• The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
• A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
• India is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention and has 75 Ramsar sites as of 2023, covering an area of over 1.33 million hectares.
• Wetlands are critical ecosystems providing habitats for diverse flora and fauna, regulating water cycles, and supporting livelihoods for millions of people globally.
• The designation of Ramsar sites promotes their conservation and sustainable use to ensure ecological balance and biodiversity preservation.

Additional Information

• Wetlands:
  • Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, either permanently or seasonally, and include swamps, marshes, estuaries, and mangroves.
  • They provide essential services like carbon sequestration, flood control, water purification, and groundwater recharge.
• Ramsar Criteria for Wetland Designation:
  • A wetland can be designated as a Ramsar site if it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or unique ecosystems.
  • It may also qualify if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds or contributes to the conservation of biological diversity.
• Montreux Record:
  • This is a register of Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur due to human or natural factors.
  • In India, Loktak Lake (Manipur) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) are listed in the Montreux Record.
• World Wetlands Day:
  • Celebrated annually on February 2, the date the Ramsar Convention was signed, to raise awareness about wetlands.
  • The 2023 theme was "Wetlands Restoration," emphasizing the need for global efforts to restore degraded wetlands.