Glaw Lake Designated as India's 101st Ramsar Site

Glaw Lake Designated as India's 101st Ramsar Site

#GS-3 #Environment #Biodiversity #Current Events #National #Ramsar Sites #Arunachal Pradesh #Wildlife

Why in News

  • The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change declared Glaw Lake (also called Glow Lake) in Arunachal Pradesh as India's 101st Ramsar Site.
  • This announcement gives Arunachal Pradesh its first Ramsar Site and pushes India's total number of internationally protected wetlands beyond 100.

Basic Overview of Glaw Lake

  • Glaw Lake is an untouched, natural freshwater lake located at high altitude in the Eastern Himalayas.
  • The lake covers an estimated area of 8 sq km and sits at an elevation of roughly 1,168 meters above sea level.
  • It acts as a primary water source for the perennial Kamlang River.

Location and Cultural Setting

  • The lake lies in the Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh near the town of Wakro.
  • It is situated deep inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, between the Lang River to the north and Namdapha National Park to the south.
  • The surrounding landscape forms the traditional homeland of the Miju Mishmi, Digaro Mishmi, and Idu Mishmi tribal communities.

Hydrological and Geomorphological Origin

  • Multiple high-altitude perennial mountain streams fed by Eastern Himalayan glaciers flow directly into the lake.
  • Natural tectonic shifts and land-block bending in the Eastern Himalayan fold belt created a high mountain depression that holds alpine runoff water.

Key Geological and Ecological Features

  • The lake spans 8 sq km with a circumference of 5 km, serving as the main headwater for the Kamlang River in this biodiversity hotspot.
  • The surrounding forest micro-climate supports more than 150 tree species like Hollong, Canarium, and Rhododendron, along with 49 recorded wild orchid species.
  • This basin forms a rare eco-zone where all 4 big cat species live together: Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard, Clouded Leopard, and Snow Leopard.
  • It offers a continuous forest corridor for endangered primates like the Hoolock Gibbon, Slow Loris, and Capped Langur, as well as rare mammals like the Mishmi Takin and Red Panda.