India has designated five new wetlands of international importance, increase the total number of Ramsar sites in the country to 54 from 49.
Five new wetland sites are:
- Tamil Nadu: Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest & Pichavaram Mangrove
- Mizoram: Pala wetland
- Madhya Pradesh: Sakhya Sagar
- The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (international treaty) aims at the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
- World Wetlands Day: 2 February