Vembannur Wetland Complex

Flock of lesser whistling duck
Indian Pond Heron
Intermediate Egret

Vembannur Wetland Complex

  • Country: 
    India
  • Site number: 
    2474
  • Area: 
    19.7 ha
  • Designation date: 
    08-04-2022
  • Coordinates: 
    08°10'N 77°22'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

Vembannur Wetland is a human-made irrigation tank, situated a few kilometres inland in Kerala near the southernmost point of mainland India. The Site forms part of an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) and it provides suitable habitat to several species of waterbird in the breeding and non-breeding seasons such as the Indian river tern (Sterna aurantia), the spotted greenshank (Tringa guttifer), the garganey (Anas querquedula) and the grey pelican (Pelecanus philippensis). The Site is also an excellent habitat for notable plants including Indotristicha ramosissima, Cyrtococcum longipes and Eriochrysis rangacharii. The wetland supports more than 2,000 hectares of agricultural land on which more than 1,000 families depend. It also supplies fish and drinking water to local communities while moderating the impacts of drought and floods, influencing the local microclimate, enhancing the beauty of the landscape, and providing many recreational opportunities. Vegetation clearance and land conversion, garbage and solid waste present moderate threats to the ecological integrity of the Site. Although a management plan has been prepared, the authorities are yet to start implementing it.

Administrative region: 
close to Bay of Bengal, comes under Melasankarankuzhi Panchayath; located 8km towards W from Nagercoil, 4km from Rajakkamangalam &736km from Chennai; surrounded by Kurunthancode,Nagercoil,Thackalai& Agastiswaram blocks towards W,E,N & E respectively

  • National legal designation: 
    • Comes under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
    • Vembanur wetland is notified under the section of 36 A of The Wildlife Protection Act 1972
  • Last publication date: 
    03-08-2022

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents