Bihar’s Gogabeel Lake – 94th Ramsar Site of India

Gogabeel Lake in Katihar district, Bihar, has been officially added to the list of Ramsar Sites, becoming India’s 94th Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.

About Bihar’s Gogabeel Lake – 94th Ramsar Site of India:

What it is?

• Gogabeel is a natural oxbow lake—a crescent-shaped waterbody formed by the meandering of rivers—located between the Ganga and Mahananda rivers in Katihar district, Bihar. It acts as a seasonal floodplain connecting both rivers during high water levels.

Location and formation:

• Formed from the flow of Mahananda and Kankhar rivers in the north and Ganga in the south and east.
• Spread over 57 hectares as a Community Reserve and 30 hectares as a Conservation Reserve.
• Declared Bihar’s first Community Reserve in 2019 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Historical background:

• Initially declared a “Closed Area” in 1990, renewed till 2000.
• Lost its legal protection after the 2002 amendment to the Wildlife Act removed the “Closed Area” provision.
• Regained recognition as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in 2004 and 2017 by the Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) and BirdLife International.
• After community efforts led by NGOs like Janlakshya and Goga Vikas Samiti, it was notified as a Community Reserve in 2019.
• Now recognized globally as a Ramsar Site (2025), acknowledging its ecological importance.

Ecological and biodiversity features:

• Supports over 90 bird species, including 30 migratory ones using the Central Asian Flyway.
• Habitat for vulnerable species such as Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) and Lesser Adjutant Stork; Black-necked Stork, White Ibis, and White-eyed Pochard are listed as Near Threatened.
• Also serves as a breeding ground for the vulnerable catfish Wallago attu.
• Identified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) by BNHS and IUCN.
• Provides livelihood through fishing, cattle grazing, and irrigation, though excessive fertilizer use threatens its ecosystem.