Context: India has added Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh to the list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, taking the country’s total number of Ramsar Sites to 101. The designation also marks Arunachal Pradesh’s first Ramsar Site, a significant milestone in the state’s biodiversity conservation efforts.
- India has added Glaw Lake as its 101st Wetland of International Importance.
- This “Ramsar Site” (no. 2597 on the “Ramsar List”) is a freshwater lake found within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Eastern Himalayas, a biodiversity hotspot.
- It is fed by perennial mountain streams typical of the Himalayan foothill landscape and is surrounded by lush vegetation, with more than 150 tree species and 49 orchid species recorded within the Site and its catchment.
- The Site, together with the wider landscape of Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, supports four species of big cats: tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), and snow leopard (Panthera uncia).
- It also provides habitat and wintering ground to multiple water-dependent birds such as the critically endangered white-bellied heron (Ardea insignis) as well as over 20 reptiles and amphibians.
- Glaw Lake and its surroundings are a popular destination for hiking and nature-based recreation. The Lake is also an important cultural asset to the local Mishmi community, who regard it as sacred.
- A Site-specific restoration plan is currently being prepared to support the protection and sustainable management of the wetland, with a particular emphasis on the active participation of Mishmi communities.