With reference to the wetlands of India, consider the following statements:

1. The country's total geographical area under the category of wetlands is recorded more in Gujarat as compared to other States.

2. In India, the total geographical area of coastal wetlands is larger than that of inland wetlands.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

The correct answer is 1 only.

Key Points

• Gujarat is called the "Land of Wetlands".
• Gujarat state has one of the largest areas of wetlands in the country covering 3,47,495 km², which accounts for about 17.56% of the geographical area of the state.
  • The total wetland area in the state is 23.14% of the total wetland of the country. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• India has totally 27, 403 wetlands, of which 23,444 are inland wetlands and 3,959 are coastal wetlands.
• The area under inland wetlands accounts for 69%, coastal wetlands 27%, and other wetlands (smaller than 2.25 ha) 4%. Hence statement 2 is incorrect.

Important Points

• A wetland is a place where the land is covered by water. Marshes, ponds, the edge of a lake/ocean, the delta at the mouth of a river, low-lying areas that frequently flood — all of these are wetlands.
• Wetlands of international importance are also known as Ramsar sites.