UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s Ramsar Site tally reaches 103 with addition of Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (UP)

Q1. With reference to the Montreux Record maintained under the Ramsar Convention, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It covers listed sites whose ecological character is changing through natural evolutionary processes as well as through human interference.
  2. A listed wetland can be entered in the Record only with the approval of the Contracting Party in whose territory it lies.
  3. A wetland entered in the Record can later be taken off it once its ecological character has been restored.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q2. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. UNESCO is the depositary of the Ramsar Convention but has no role in administering or implementing the treaty.
  2. The Ramsar Convention forms part of the UN system of environmental agreements and is answerable to the governing body of UNEP.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. With reference to the domestic legal framework for wetland conservation in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 have been framed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  2. Conversion of a notified wetland for non-wetland uses, including encroachment of any kind, is a prohibited activity under the 2017 Rules.
  3. The 2017 Rules vest wetland management solely in a national-level authority, leaving States and UTs without a statutory role.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 only

Q4. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention commit to the wise use of all wetlands in their territory, and not merely of the sites on the Ramsar List.
  2. In India, the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 have been notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q5. With reference to the consequences of including a wetland, such as Chandigarh's Sukhna Wetland, in the Ramsar List, consider the following statements under the text of the Convention: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Inclusion in the List does not prejudice the exclusive sovereign rights of the Contracting Party in whose territory the wetland lies.
  2. A Contracting Party may, because of its urgent national interests, delete or restrict the boundaries of a wetland it has already listed.
  3. A Party that deletes or restricts a listed wetland should, as far as possible, compensate for the lost wetland resources, for example by creating additional nature reserves.
  4. Responsibility for managing a listed wetland passes from the Contracting Party to the Ramsar Secretariat.
  • A. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3 only

Q6. Consider the following facts: India provides critical stopover sites to over 90% of the bird species known to use the Central Asian Flyway, and nearly 71% of the flyway's migratory waterbirds use India as a stopover site. Many of India's recent Ramsar designations are inland lakes and jheels of the Indo-Gangetic plains. Which of the following inferences can validly be drawn from the above?

  1. Most bird species that use the Central Asian Flyway breed within India.
  2. Degradation of India's inland wetlands could affect waterbird populations that breed in other countries along the flyway.
  3. Ramsar designation of Indian wetlands is by itself sufficient to secure the flyway's migratory waterbird populations.
  4. Effective conservation of these birds calls for cooperation among range countries along the flyway, not India's action alone.
  • A. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only