Gujarat’s Chhari-Dhandh on global Ramsar Map

The Chhari-Dhandh Wetland Conservation Reserve in Gujarat’s Kachchh district was designated as a Ramsar Site (Wetland of International Importance) on January 31, marking a major milestone in India’s wetland conservation efforts and placing the site on the global ecological map, officials said on Friday (February 6, 2026).

Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia, on behalf of the Forest Department, presented the Ramsar Site certificate to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar. The Chief Minister congratulated the Forest Department team, noting that Chhari-Dhandh has become Gujarat’s fifth Ramsar Site and the first in the Kachchh region.

Chhari-Dhandh is a unique wetland ecosystem located at the ecological interface of desert, grassland and wetland landscapes.

“The reserve attracts thousands of migratory birds annually, including the globally significant Grey Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus). The wetland was designated as Gujarat’s first Conservation Reserve in August 2008 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of the State,” officials said.

They said that early conservation decisions laid the foundation for long-term habitat protection, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in the arid Kachchh landscape. Over the years, Chhari-Dhandh has emerged as a major destination for birdwatchers, researchers and ornithologists from India and abroad.

According to tour operators and ornithologists associated with bird-watching trails, over 80% of visitors to the reserve are foreign tourists, mainly from Nordic countries, the United States and the United Kingdom. Visitors from more than 52 countries have so far visited the wetland.

Ecologists see Chhari-Dhandh as one of Asia’s important wetlands for migratory birds. Surveys in the Banni wetlands have recorded over 50,000 waterbirds, including more than 40,000 cranes at a single site. Around 283 bird species have been documented in and around Chhari-Dhandh, including 11 globally threatened species and nine Near Threatened species.

Following its notification as a Conservation Reserve in 2008, the Gujarat government has implemented sustained conservation measures, including habitat protection, ecological monitoring and community participation. The reserve today records the highest bird diversity in Kachchh district, with 187 bird species, accounting for over 35% of Gujarat’s avifaunal diversity. In April 2025, an estimated 500–600 Grey Hypocolius were sighted in the reserve.

Spread over about 22,700 hectares and encompassing 12 villages, Chhari-Dhandh lies at the confluence of tropical thorn forest, Banni grassland and the Little Rann landscape. This convergence of ecosystems supports diverse habitats and rich floral and faunal assemblages critical to ecological balance.

The Ramsar designation was granted due to Chhari-Dhandh’s rare desert wetland character, high biodiversity and its role as a key migratory bird habitat along the Central Asian Flyway. The wetland supports more than 180 bird species and serves as an important wintering and stopover site.

“Gujarat lies at the southern end of the Central Asian Flyway, a major migratory route linking Central Asia with the Indian subcontinent. Wetlands in Kachchh, including Chhari-Dhandh, provide vital feeding and resting grounds for migratory birds arriving each winter from Central Asia, Iran and Siberia, giving the site global ecological significance,” officials added.