Ramsar Convention

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use
of wetlands.[1] It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the city
of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971.
Every three years, representatives of the Contracting Parties meet as the Conference of the
Contracting Parties (COP), the policy-making organ of the Convention which adopts decisions
(Resolutions and Recommendations) to administer the work of the Convention and improve the
way in which the Parties are able to implement its objectives.
The most recent COP12 was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in 2015. COP13 will take place
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2018.

The Ramsar Sites Criteria

The nine criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance

Group A of the Criteria. Sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types

Criterion 1: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it contains a

representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within
the appropriate biogeographic region.

Group B of the Criteria. Sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity

Criteria based on species and ecological communities

Criterion 2: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports vulnerable,

endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.

Criterion 3: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports

populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of
a particular biogeographic region.

Criterion 4: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports plant

and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse
conditions.

Specific criteria based on waterbirds

Criterion 5: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports

20,000 or more waterbirds.
Criterion 6: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports
1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird.

Specific criteria based on fish

Criterion 7: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports a

significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages,
species interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or
values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity.

Criterion 8: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it is an important

source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks,
either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend.

Specific criteria based on other taxa

Criterion 9: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports

1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent
nonavian animal species.
The 2nd of February each year is World Wetlands Day, marking the date of the adoption of
the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) on February 2, 1971.
The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award honours the work of governments, organisations and
individuals in promoting the wise use and conservation of wetlands.
The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award was established in 1996 at the 6th Meeting of the
Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention. The Award has been given six times so far on the
occasion of Meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (1999, 2002, 2005, 2008,
2012, and 2015). All awardees have also received the Evian Special Prize of US$10,000, donated
by the Danone Group.

The Montreux Record- is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International
Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to
occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. It is a
voluntary mechanism to highlight specific wetlands of international importance that are facing
immediate challenges.
It is maintained as part of the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance.[1]
List of sites under Montreux Record:
At present, 51 sites are listed in Montreux Record.The Montreux Record was established by
Recommendation 4.8 at the 1990 cop.
Indian sites under Montreux Record:
At present, only 2 Indian sites are listed under it. They are: Keoladeo National Park,
Rajasthan & Loktak Lake, Manipur.[2]