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.
