Dhanauri Wetland

News: The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to inform it of the status of notifying the Dhanauri waterbody as a wetland. 

About Dhanauri Wetland

 

• It is in the Dhanauri village near Dankaur in Uttar Pradesh. 
• It is nestled within the floodplains of Yamuna Basin. 
• The wetland hosts more than 217 bird species, including over 150 Sarus Cranes. 
  • Sarus Crane is the state bird of Uttar Pradesh. 
• The wetland has over 20,000 waterfowl, and supports 23 species of birds that are endangered, critically endangered and threatened. 
• It has been recognised as an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International. 
• Dhanauri is yet to be recognised as a Ramsar site. 

About Ramsar Convention  It is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.  The convention was signed in Ramsar (Iran) in 1971 under the auspices of UNESCO and came into force in 1975.  Article 1.1 of the Ramsar Convention defines wetland as “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres”.  It recognises 5 major types of wetlands: marine, estuarine, lacustrine, riverine and palustrine.