Gandhinagar: Chhari Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve in Kutch has been designated a Ramsar Site, recognising it as a wetland of international importance. The declaration, made on January 31, 2026, marks a milestone in India's wetland conservation efforts and underscores Gujarat's expanding role in global biodiversity protection.
Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia presented the Ramsar certificate to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar on Friday.
With this, Chhari Dhand becomes Gujarat's fifth Ramsar site and the first in the Kutch region. Spread across 22,700 hectares and covering 12 villages, the wetland lies between arid desert and grassland ecosystems and serves as a key habitat for migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.
Other Ramsar sites in Gujarat include Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary (2012), Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (2021), Wadhwana Wetland (2021) and Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary (2022).
Chhari Dhand is known for its rich avian diversity, with over 200,000 birds recorded at a time and 187 species documented within the wetland. More than 40,000 Common Cranes have been observed at a single location, while the surrounding landscape supports 283 bird species, including 11 globally threatened and nine near-threatened species. The area is also an important wintering ground for the rare Grey Hypocolius.
Declared a Conservation Reserve in 2008 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the site has since benefited from sustained conservation measures. It now accounts for over 35 per cent of Gujarat's bird diversity and attracts birdwatchers and researchers from more than 52 countries.
Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia presented the Ramsar certificate to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar on Friday.
With this, Chhari Dhand becomes Gujarat's fifth Ramsar site and the first in the Kutch region. Spread across 22,700 hectares and covering 12 villages, the wetland lies between arid desert and grassland ecosystems and serves as a key habitat for migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.
Other Ramsar sites in Gujarat include Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary (2012), Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (2021), Wadhwana Wetland (2021) and Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary (2022).
Chhari Dhand is known for its rich avian diversity, with over 200,000 birds recorded at a time and 187 species documented within the wetland. More than 40,000 Common Cranes have been observed at a single location, while the surrounding landscape supports 283 bird species, including 11 globally threatened and nine near-threatened species. The area is also an important wintering ground for the rare Grey Hypocolius.
Declared a Conservation Reserve in 2008 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the site has since benefited from sustained conservation measures. It now accounts for over 35 per cent of Gujarat's bird diversity and attracts birdwatchers and researchers from more than 52 countries.