Glaw Lake : India’s 101st Ramsar Site

Glaw Lake: India’s 101st Ramsar Site

Glaw Lake was designated as India’s 101st Ramsar Site.

• Glaw Lake is located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is Arunachal Pradesh’s first designated Ramsar Site.
• It is a freshwater lake in the Eastern Himalayas is a biodiversity hotspot, nestled within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The Lake is fed by perennial mountain streams and is surrounded by lush vegetation, supporting rich floral diversity.
• The wetland has over 150 tree species and 49 orchid species recorded within the site and its catchment, underscoring the ecological significance of Glaw Lake and its surrounding landscape.
• It supports high-altitude aquatic biodiversity, including endangered species such as the White-Bellied Heron and Clouded Leopard.

Ramsar Convention:

• It is an intergovernmental treaty that sets the framework for both national action and international cooperation to conserve and ensure the wise use of wetlands and their resources.
• It was adopted in 1971 in the city of Ramsar in Iran and came into force in 1975.
• It was the first intergovernmental agreement focused exclusively on a specific ecosystem, i.e. wetlands.
• The convention rests on the three main pillars:
  • Conservation of wetlands of international importance,
  • Promotion of the wise use of all wetlands within a country’s territory
  • International co-operation on shared wetland systems and migratory species