What is wetland? Explain the Ramsar concept of ‘wise use’ in the context of wetland conservation. Cite two examples of Ramsar sites from India.
Approach · directive: “what / explain / cite”
What it asks · Define wetlands, explain 'wise use' as the Ramsar Convention means it, and name two Indian Ramsar sites.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- What: define a wetland
- Explain the Ramsar concept of 'wise use' in wetland conservation
- Cite two Ramsar sites from India
Open with · Wetlands are marshes, fens, peatlands and other shallow or shoreline waters, whether natural or man-made, permanent or seasonal, that support rich biodiversity and livelihoods; the Ramsar Convention (1971) calls for their conservation and wise use.
Cover
- Meaning: lakes, marshes, floodplains, mangroves, peatlands and shallow coastal waters where water is the main factor controlling life; the water may be fresh, brackish or salt.
- Wise use: under Ramsar, the maintenance of a wetland's ecological character, through ecosystem approaches, within sustainable development; use that does not degrade it, so benefits last.
- In practice: management plans, regulated fishing, tourism and water use, restoration, community participation and monitoring; not a ban on use but sustainable use.
- Ramsar duties: list suitable wetlands, promote wise use of all wetlands, cooperate across borders; the Montreux Record flags sites whose ecological character is under threat.
- Indian examples: Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Loktak Lake (Manipur). Chilika, restored with a new mouth to the sea and fisher involvement, left the Montreux Record in 2002; Loktak has been on it since 1993.
- Indian framework: the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems; wetlands give flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification, fisheries and carbon storage.
- Threats: encroachment, drainage, pollution, invasive species and climate change.
Close with · Wise use lets people and wetlands both thrive; India's sites show that it works when local communities and management plans guide the use.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2018, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 222 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
A wetland is land saturated or covered by water, natural or man-made, permanent or seasonal, fresh, brackish or salt, where water controls the plants and animals it supports; the Ramsar Convention (1971) commits parties to conserve wetlands through wise use.
What a wetland is
- Lakes, marshes, floodplains, mangroves, peatlands and shallow coastal waters, which give flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification, fisheries and carbon storage; India regulates them under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
'Wise use' under Ramsar
- Meaning: maintaining a wetland's ecological character, through ecosystem approaches, within sustainable development; it is a duty for all wetlands, not only listed sites.
- Not a ban on use: fishing, tourism, grazing and water withdrawal continue, but within limits set by a management plan, with restoration, monitoring and community participation.
- Safeguard: the Montreux Record lists sites whose ecological character is threatened, prompting corrective action.
Two Indian Ramsar sites
- Chilika Lake (Odisha): its ecological character was restored by opening a new mouth to the sea and involving fisher communities, and it left the Montreux Record in 2002.
- Loktak Lake (Manipur): on the Montreux Record since 1993, a reminder that listing alone does not secure wise use.
Wise use lets people and wetlands thrive together; Chilika shows it working when communities and management plans guide the use, and Loktak shows the cost of neglecting it.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.