KAWAR LAKE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Kawar Lake in Begusarai, received recognition as a Ramsar site, while the state's sole wetland of international importance, under the Ramsar Convention, remains neglected and is at the verge of drying up.

• Kusheshwarsthan in Darbhanga district, Barela in Vaishali district, Goga Bil in Katihar district and Nagiand Nakti dams in Jamui district were identified for inclusion as Ramsar sites.

Ramsar Site

• A Ramsar site is a wetland of global significance according to the Ramsar Convention, also referred to as the 'Convention on Wetlands.'
• This convention is an intergovernmental environmental treaty founded by UNESCO in 1971.
• It derives its name from Ramsar, a city in Iran, where the treaty was originally signed in 1971.
• There are 75 Ramsar sites in India.
• Sundarbans in West Bengal is the largest Ramsar site in India.

Kawar Lake

• Located: Begusarai, bihar
• Ramsar Site Declaration: August 2020
• It is also known as Kabartal Wetland. It is Asia's largest freshwater oxbow lake.
• The Wetland is an important stopover along the Central Asian Flyway, with 58 migratory waterbirds using it to rest and refuel.