Nalsarovar

Ramsar logo

Nalsarovar

  • Country: 
    India
  • Site number: 
    2078
  • Area: 
    12,000 ha
  • Designation date: 
    24-09-2012
  • Coordinates: 
    22°46'N 72°02'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary. 24/09/12; Gujarat; 12,000 ha; 22°46'33"N 072°02'21"E. Wildlife Sanctuary. A natural freshwater lake (a relict sea) that is the largest natural wetland in the Thar Desert Biogeographic Province and represents a dynamic environment with salinity and depth varying depending on rainfall. The area is home to 210 species of birds, with an average 174,128 individuals recorded there during the winter and 50,000 in the summer. It is an important stopover site within the Central Asia Flyway, with globally threatened species such as the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) and the vulnerable Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) stopping over at the site during migration, while the vulnerable Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) takes refuge there during summer when other water bodies are dry. The wetland is also a lifeline for a satellite population of the endangered Indian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur) which uses this area in the dry season. Local communities heavily rely on the lake as it provides them with a source of drinking water and water for irrigiation, as well as an important source of income from fishing for Catla fish (Catla Catla) and Rohu (Labeo rohita). An average of 75,000 tourists visit the wetland annually. Ramsar Site no. 2078. Most recent RIS information: 2012.

Administrative region: 
Gujarat State

  • National legal designation: 
    • Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Last publication date: 
    24-09-2012

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Site map

Additional reports and documents