[How does the Ramsar Convention complement India's domestic biodiversity governance? Illustrate with recent designations.](/upsc-mains-answer/ramsar-convention-complement-india-s-domestic-a5618ed)

Q. How does the Ramsar Convention complement India's domestic biodiversity governance? Illustrate with recent designations. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

The Ramsar Convention (1971), which India joined in 1982, provides a global framework for the "wise use" of wetlands. It carries no enforcement power, yet it complements India's domestic biodiversity governance by supplying standards, visibility and funding leverage that national law alone does not generate — as India's ascent to 100 Ramsar sites in June 2026 illustrates [1][2].

Supplying an international benchmark for domestic rules - Ramsar's "ecological character" and wise-use principles are operationalised domestically through the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 [3]. - Designation itself is soft law; real protection flows from these Rules, State Wetland Authorities and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — the Convention sets the goal, domestic law supplies the teeth.

Driving identification and institutional attention - Designation compels states to inventory, delineate and prepare management plans, converting neglected waterbodies into governed landscapes. - Shekha Jheel (Aligarh), India's 99th site, was recognised for hosting 249 bird species, of which 62 are wetland-dependent — data generated by the listing process itself [2].

Anchoring transboundary and flyway obligations - Wetlands like Shekha Jheel and Surha Tal lie on the Central Asian Flyway, sustaining the Bar-headed Goose and Painted Stork; migratory species cannot be conserved by national law alone [2]. - India now hosts Asia's largest Ramsar network, ranking third globally, strengthening its negotiating credibility at COPs [1].

Mobilising community participation - Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal), Ballia — the 100th site — supports rich avifauna alongside fishing and eco-tourism livelihoods, linking conservation to local incomes [1]. - This dovetails with Amrit Dharohar and Mission Sahbhagita, which build community stewardship of wetlands.

Thus the Convention and domestic law are complementary rather than duplicative: Ramsar supplies norms, science and prestige, while Indian statutes supply regulation and enforcement. Going forward, matching the century of designations with funded management plans and outcome monitoring will ensure ecological integrity keeps pace with numbers — advancing Article 48A and SDG 6 and 15.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. PM lauds designation of Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary as India's 100th Ramsar site, PIB (5 June 2026) — Surha Tal as 100th site, Ballia location, avifaunal and livelihood value, India's rank in Asia/globally 2. Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary announced as India's 99th Ramsar site, PIB — Shekha Jheel bird species data, Central Asian Flyway species 3. Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, MoEFCC — domestic statutory framework under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986