About World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day is marked every 2 February, and in 2027 it falls on Tuesday, 2 February 2027. It remembers the day in 1971 when countries signed the wetlands treaty in the Iranian town of Ramsar. India is one of the treaty's busiest members, with sites ranging from Chilika in Odisha to the fish ponds on the eastern edge of Kolkata.
A wetland is simply land that stays wet for much of the year. A village tank, a mangrove creek, a river floodplain, a salt pan, a paddy field that holds water, a high mountain lake. Revenue records in India often call such land waste. World Wetlands Day exists largely to argue with that word.
What is World Wetlands Day and why is it on 2 February?
World Wetlands Day is on 2 February because the Convention on Wetlands was adopted on that date in 1971, in the Caspian Sea town of Ramsar in Iran. The treaty is still known by that town's name.
The day was first marked in 1997 by the countries in the treaty. It became a full United Nations day much later, when the General Assembly passed resolution 75/317 on 30 August 2021. So a page that calls it a UN day and a page that calls it a treaty anniversary are both right, at different points in its life.
The United Nations says about 35 per cent of the world's wetlands have gone since 1970, and that they are being lost about three times faster than forests. The same source notes that wetlands cover roughly six per cent of the land surface but hold or breed around 40 per cent of plant and animal species.
Which Indian wetlands are Ramsar sites?
India joined the Ramsar list in 1982 with Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo in Rajasthan. The Union environment minister told Parliament in February 2026 that the count had reached 98 sites, up from 26 in 2014. The number keeps moving, so check the environment ministry's current list before you quote a figure.
| Site | State | What makes it unusual |
|---|---|---|
| Chilika | Odisha | Brackish lagoon with the largest known group of Irrawaddy dolphins |
| Keoladeo | Rajasthan | A duck-shooting reserve built by a maharaja, now a winter bird park |
| East Kolkata Wetlands | West Bengal | Fish ponds that clean much of the city's sewage and sell the fish |
| Loktak | Manipur | Floating mats of vegetation called phumdi, home of the sangai deer |
| Sundarban | West Bengal | India's largest mangrove block and a tiger habitat |
| Wular | Jammu and Kashmir | One of Asia's large freshwater lakes, fed by the Jhelum |
| Vembanad-Kol | Kerala | The backwater system behind Kerala's houseboats and duck farming |
Being on the Ramsar list is not a legal fence. Protection in India comes mainly from the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules of 2017, notified on 29 September that year, which put state wetland authorities in charge and bar activities such as dumping waste or setting up industries inside a notified wetland.
There is also a warning list inside the treaty, the Montreux Record, for sites whose condition is slipping. Chilika went on it in 1993 after its mouth silted up and fisheries collapsed, and came off in 2002 after the lagoon was reopened to the sea. It was the first site in Asia to be taken off that list.
Why do wetlands matter if you live in a city?
Because they take the first hit in a flood, and because a lot of urban water and food passes through them. The East Kolkata Wetlands are the clearest example anywhere in India. Fish farmers there have used the city's sewage for decades as feed for their ponds, so the wastewater is treated by sunlight and algae rather than by a plant, and the city gets cheap fish and vegetables out of it.
Most Indian cities have the opposite story. Lakes get filled for housing, storm drains lose their outlet, and the water shows up in living rooms during a heavy monsoon. If you want one concrete thing to do on 2 February, find out whether your ward has a notified wetland and which authority is responsible for it. That information is public.
What to write on World Wetlands Day
Keep it short and name the place.
Happy World Wetlands Day. The lake behind our office counts as one. Walk down at 7 am this week and count the birds, it is worth it.
Wishing you a good World Wetlands Day and a long list. May the flamingos show up on the day you actually carry your camera.
Happy World Wetlands Day. Thank you for taking a class of forty children to a marsh and coming back with all forty.
On World Wetlands Day, thank you for the early mornings and the boat patrols. Most of us only see the photographs.
Happy World Wetlands Day. Tell me again about the fish you used to catch there. I want to write it down this time.
Happy World Wetlands Day. Here's to your field season, your leech socks and your data actually reaching a policy note.
For the other days in this family, see World Water Day in March, International Day for Biological Diversity in May and World Oceans Day in June.
How to wish someone on World Wetlands Day
A wish for this day works best when it names a real place. Most people live within an hour of a lake, tank, marsh or creek, so mention that one rather than wetlands in general. For forest staff, fishers and researchers who work on these sites, thanks for a specific job beats a slogan. Keep the tone encouraging, not scolding.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is World Wetlands Day in 2026 and 2027?
World Wetlands Day is on 2 Feb every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is World Wetlands Day in 2027?
World Wetlands Day 2027 falls on Tuesday, 2 February 2027.
Why is World Wetlands Day observed on 2 February?
World Wetlands Day is on 2 February because the Convention on Wetlands was adopted on that date in 1971 in the town of Ramsar, Iran. The day was first observed in 1997, and the UN General Assembly made it an official international day in 2021.
How many Ramsar sites does India have?
India had 98 Ramsar sites in early 2026, according to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, up from 26 in 2014. The first two, listed in 1982, were Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo in Rajasthan.
What counts as a wetland?
A wetland is any land covered by shallow water or waterlogged for a good part of the year. That includes lakes, village tanks, marshes, mangroves, river floodplains, estuaries, salt pans and peat bogs, whether the water is fresh, salty or in between.
Does a Ramsar tag protect a wetland by law in India?
Not by itself. The Ramsar listing is an international commitment to keep the site's character intact. Legal protection inside India comes from the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, which are enforced by state wetland authorities.
What is the Montreux Record?
The Montreux Record is a list kept under the wetlands treaty of sites whose ecological condition has changed or is likely to change because of human activity. Chilika Lake was added in 1993 and removed in 2002 after restoration work, the first Asian site to come off that list.
What can one person do on World Wetlands Day?
Visit the nearest lake, tank or creek and record what you see, especially birds, on a public citizen-science platform. You can also find out which body is the wetland authority for your district and whether the site near you has been notified under the 2017 rules.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .