Rapid Fire
Bihar’s Gogabil Lake is India’s 94th Ramsar Site
- 10 Nov 2025
- 2 min read
Bihar now has six Ramsar sites, placing it third after Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. India has the highest number of Ramsar sites in Asia and ranks third globally after the UK (176) and Mexico (144), under the Ramsar Convention, 1971.
- Gogabil Lake: Gogabil Lake is an ox-bow wetland located in the Trans-Gangetic Plains of Katihar, Bihar. It is flanked by the Mahananda River to the northeast and the Ganga River to the south.
- Gogabil Lake is Bihar’s first Community Reserve. It is the 15th Protected Area (PA) in Bihar.
- It is used for irrigation water abstraction, extensive fishing, navigation, cattle wading, and recreation, supporting local livelihoods.
- Ecological Importance: Gogabil is a permanent waterbody that shrinks in summer but never dries, and it is an important wintering site along the Central Asian Flyway.
- Flora and Fauna: It hosts large congregations of waterbirds and shoreline birds. It supports bird species such as Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Bar-headed Goose, Greylag Goose, Northern Pintail, and Ruddy Shelduck.
- Endangered and rare species recorded here include the Black-bellied Tern, Lesser Adjutant Stork, River Tern, Painted Stork, Ferruginous Duck, Darter, and Black-headed Ibis.
- Due to its high avian diversity and ecological richness, Gogabil is recognised as an Important Bird Area.
- Threats: Major threats include heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides in the catchment that flow into the wetland, along with exploitation of biological resources.
| Read more: Khichan and Menar as New Ramsar Sites |
