What is a wetland? Explain the Ramsar concept of ‘wise use’ in the context of wetland conservation. Cite two examples of Ramsar sites from India.

Introduction: A wetland is land that stays saturated or covered by water for part or all of the year, sitting between purely terrestrial and aquatic systems. The Convention on Wetlands signed at Ramsar (Iran) defines it broadly as areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water — natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, static or flowing, fresh or saline — including marine water no deeper than six metres at low tide.

Body:

• What 'wise use' means: It is the Convention's core principle — the sustainable use of a wetland that maintains its ecological character (its biological, physical and chemical components and the services they support) within the framework of sustainable development. So conservation and human use are not opposed; fishing, grazing and regulated tourism can continue as long as the wetland's functions survive for future generations.
• How it works: Wise use treats wetlands as service-providers — flood buffering, groundwater recharge, fisheries, water purification and carbon storage — and asks managers to keep these intact through integrated management plans, regular monitoring of ecological character, and local stewardship, rather than simply fencing people out.
• Two Indian Ramsar sites: Chilika Lake (Odisha), India's largest brackish coastal lagoon and a wintering ground for migratory birds and Irrawaddy dolphins; and Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur, Rajasthan), a man-made waterfowl wetland that is also a World Heritage Site.

Conclusion: Wise use makes conservation work for communities, not against them. India operationalises this idea through the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, anchoring the Ramsar principle firmly in domestic law.