Sukhna Lake gets Ramsar tag, puts Chandigarh on global wetland map

The Ramsar Convention on Thursday announced that Chandigarh’s Sukhna Wetland had been added to its list, placing the city’s prized water body on the global map of wetlands and bringing renewed focus on the conservation of its ecosystem.

Sukhna has been assigned Site Number 2602 on the Ramsar List. Ramsar sites are also called Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, an environmental treaty established in 1971.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav posted on X, “India’s Ramsar site tally reaches 103. India continues to strengthen its commitment to wetland conservation, with Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh becoming the latest additions to the list of Ramsar Sites.”

“I congratulate Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh for this feat,” he said. “Dear travellers, do visit Sukhna and Sauj next time you have a couple of days at hand.”

The UT Chandigarh Administrator and Punjab Governor, Gulab Chand Kataria, hailed it as a historic milestone for environmental conservation and sustainable ecosystem management.

Kataria congratulated the people of Chandigarh, conservationists, experts, the Forest and Wildlife Department, and all concerned for their unrelenting dedication toward protecting this iconic natural ecosystem.

“Addition of Sukhna Wetland to this prestigious international framework has further enhanced the country’s global leadership in wetland conservation, biodiversity protection, and sustainable ecosystem management.”

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Located at the edge of Chandigarh at the foothills of the Outer Himalayas, and spread over nearly 565 acres, the wetland supports a range of habitats, including open water, shoreline vegetation, scrub and forest, making it an important refuge for wildlife amid the urban landscape.

Officials from the Chandigarh Administration said a major factor behind its ecological significance is its role as a habitat for resident waterbirds and migratory birds.

An official statement said it is particularly important for resident water birds and other migrating birds along the Central Asian Flyway, providing feeding, breeding, roosting, and wintering habitats. Notable species include the vulnerable common pochard (Aythya ferina) and the endangered Pallas’ fish eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus). The shallow littoral habitats also support reptiles such as the endangered black pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii).

The prominent city landmark is also a vital life support system and biodiversity hotspot that provides critical habitat for thousands of migratory birds navigating the Central Asian Flyway each year, it said.

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A senior UT Administration officer had earlier said the proposal had received approval from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and endorsement from the Ministry of External Affairs before being forwarded for international recognition.

The proposal was cleared by the UT State Wetland Authority in September 2025, underlining the administration’s push to secure international recognition for the lake.

“The Ramsar designation is more than an international label for one of Chandigarh’s best-known landmarks. It places greater emphasis on safeguarding the catchment, maintaining water quality, protecting habitats and ensuring that recreational use does not undermine the ecological functions that make Sukhna internationally significant,” the officer said.

What makes Sukhna a Ramsar site?

The Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, provides a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. India became a party to the convention on February 1, 1982.

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A wetland can qualify for Ramsar status if it meets at least one of the convention’s nine criteria. These include being a rare or unique wetland, supporting threatened species, maintaining regional biodiversity, providing essential habitat during critical stages of wildlife life cycles, or supporting significant populations of waterbirds, fish and other wetland-dependent animals.

The criteria include wetlands that regularly support at least 20,000 waterbirds or at least 1 per cent of a particular waterbird species or subspecies. Other criteria recognise wetlands that support threatened species, indigenous fish diversity and important breeding or migration habitats.

Recognition brings responsibility

While the Ramsar tag gives Sukhna international visibility, its long-term ecological health will depend on how effectively the wetland and its catchment are managed.

The sediment inflow from the catchment and invasive species, however, remain key management challenges.

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Preservation measures include soil and moisture conservation to reduce erosion and sediment loads, along with periodic removal of invasive plants.