There are 101 Ramsar sites covering 1,387,741 hectares (14,005.12 km2) in India, as of 4 August 2026. These wetlands are deemed of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. For a full list of all Ramsar sites worldwide, see the list of Ramsar wetlands of international importance.
Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar sites in India. It has 20 protected wetlands covering 1008.81 km2. West Bengal protects the largest total area of wetlands, covering 435,500 hectares. India started protecting these sites in 1981. Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan were the very first sites to join the list on 1 October 1981. The newest addition is in Arunachal Pradesh with its Glaw Lake, located within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, marked as the nation's 101st site on 3 August 2026. The Sunderban Wetland in West Bengal is the single largest site in India, covering a huge area of 423,000 hectares. On the other hand, India has two smallest sites that are tied at just 20 hectares each. These are the Renuka Wetland in Himachal Pradesh and the Vembannur Wetland Complex in Tamil Nadu. Two sites in India are explicitly marked with the Montreux Record (MR) abbreviation, signifying areas where ecological changes have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur. These are Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan and Loktak Lake in Manipur.
Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is incredibly unique because it was created by a meteorite hitting the Earth. Loktak Lake in Manipur is famous for hosting the world's only floating national park - the Keibul Lamjao National Park, which sits right on top of the water. Vembanad-Kol Wetland in Kerala is celebrated as the longest lake in the entire country. The Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat is a massive lifesaver for a rare, endangered animal called the Indian wild ass.
According to the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules of 2017, the Government of India's definition of wetlands does not include river channels, paddy fields, or other areas utilized for commercial activities.
According to WWF-India, wetlands are one of the most threatened of all ecosystems in India. Loss of vegetation, salinization, excessive inundation, water pollution, invasive species, excessive development and road building, have seriously impacted many of the country's wetlands. With gradual rise in awareness and environmental consciousness, Ramsar sites are these days viewed as the nation's achievements in nature conservation, and as per strict rules of the Ramsar Convention, once a wetland is declared as a Ramsar site, it gets prioritized as a highly sensitive nature and no-development zone with a sharp focus on conservation and preservation of flora and fauna species.
India has the highest number of Ramsar sites in all of Asia. On a global scale, the nation ranks third in the world for the most protected wetlands, sitting just behind the United Kingdom and Mexico.
Ramsar sites by state As of August 2026.
State/UTNo. of sitesName of siteAndhra Pradesh 1 Kolleru LakeArunachal Pradesh 1 Glaw LakeAssam1 Deepor BeelChhattisgarh1 Kopra ReservoirBihar6 Gogabeel Lake, Gokul Reservoir, Kanwar Lake, Nagi Bird Sanctuary, Nakti lake, Udaypur LakeTwo wetlands from Bihar get Ramsar tag, Hindustan Times, 27 Sept 2025.Goa 1 Nanda LakeGujarat5 Chhari-Dhand, Khijadiya, Nalsarovar, Thol Lake, Wadhvana WetlandHaryana2 Sultanpur National Park, Bhindawas Wildlife SanctuaryHimachal Pradesh 3 Chandra Taal, Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Renuka LakeJammu and Kashmir 5 Hokersar Wetland, Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve, Shallabugh Wetland, Mansar-Surinsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Wular LakeJharkhand1Udhwa LakeKarnataka 4 Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, Aghanashini Estuary, Magadi Kere Conservation ReserveKerala3 Ashtamudi Wetland, Sasthamkotta Lake, Vembanad-Kol WetlandLadakh2 Tso Kar, Tsomoriri LakeMadhya Pradesh 5 Bhoj Wetland, Sakhya Sagar, Sirpur Lake, Yashwant Sagar, Tawa ReservoirMaharashtra 3 Lonar Lake, Nandur Madhameshwar, Thane CreekManipur1 Loktak LakeMizoram1 Pala WetlandOdisha6 Ansupa Lake, Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Chilika Lake, Hirakud Reservoir, Satkosia Gorge, Tampara LakePunjab6 Beas Conservation Reserve, Harike Wetland, Kanjli Wetland, Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve, Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary, Ropar WetlandRajasthan5 Keoladeo National Park, Sambhar Lake, Khichan Wetland, Menar Wetland Complex, Silisereh LakeSikkim1Khecheopalri WetlandTamil Nadu20 Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary, Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, Longwood Shola Reserve Forest, Pallikarnai Marsh Reserve Forest, Pichavaram Mangrove, Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex, Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary, Vadavur Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, Vellode Bird Sanctuary, Vembannur Wetland Complex, Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary, Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary, Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary, Therthangal Bird SanctuaryTripura1 Rudrasagar LakeUttar Pradesh 13 Patna Bird Sanctuary, Bakhira Sanctuary, Haiderpur Wetland, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary, Saman Bird Sanctuary, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary, Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Sarsai Nawar Jheel, Sur Sarovar, Upper Ganga River, Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary, Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal)Uttarakhand1 Asan BarrageWest Bengal2 East Kolkata Wetlands, Sundarban Wetland Total 101 –
List of sites (as of August 2026)