Tso Kar Basin
It is a high-altitude wetland complex, consisting of two principal water bodies, start saluk Tso, a freshwater lake and Tso Kar itself , a hypersaline lake, situated in changthang region of Ladakh, India.
It is called Tso Kar, meaning white lake, because of the white salt efflorescence found on the margins due to the evaporation of highly saline water.
Tso Kar Basin is an A1 category Important Bird area as per Bird life International and a key staging site in the Central Asian Flyway.
It is also most important breeding areas for
- Black - necked Crane (Gris nigricollis)
- Great Crested Grebe (Podicepacristatus)
- Bar-headed Geese (Anserindicus)
- Ruddy Shelduck (Tadornaferrugine)
- BrownheadedGul Larusbrunnicephalus)
- Lesser sand plover etc.
What is Ramsar Convention:-
- The ‘Convention on Wetlands’ called the Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
- India became a party to Ramsar Convention in 1982 and so far, 41 wetlands have been designated as Ramsar sites.
- With the inclusion of Tso Kar wetland complex, India’s number increased to 42 as of now.
- The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits.
- Ramsar is a city of Iran
What is Wetlands
- They provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation.
- They are, in fact a major source of water and our main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater.
