Pala Wetland

picturesque view of Pala wetland
Pala wetland
Pala wetland
Pala wetland reserve
Pala wetland reserve

Pala Wetland

  • Country: 
    India
  • Site number: 
    2484
  • Area: 
    1,850 ha
  • Designation date: 
    31-08-2021
  • Coordinates: 
    22°11'N 92°54'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Pala Wetland is the largest natural wetland in the state of Mizoram. The Site includes a relatively deep lake (over 16 metres deep on average) and its surrounding forest catchment area which climbs to almost 600m above sea level. The wetland supports a rich diversity of animal species, including at least seven mammals, 222 birds, 11 amphibians and 21 reptiles. The low-lying marshy areas within the wetland provide excellent habitat for many herbivores such as sambar deer (Cervus unicolor), wild pig (Sus scrofa) and barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak). Various species of primate also inhabit the wetland, such as the endangered Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) and Phayre’s leaf monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei). Pala Wetland is revered by the local Mara people and has a deep connection with their history. The wetland is the major source of freshwater and fish for the villages at its fringe and also the major source of irrigation water for wet rice cultivation, horticulture and other forms of agriculture. Although classified as a Wetland Reserve by the national authorities, the Site is threatened by the construction of roads and railroads, hunting and collecting of land animals, illegal logging and wood harvesting. However, a management plan is being implemented to mitigate these threats.

Administrative region: 
Mizoram

  • National legal designation: 
    • Wetland Reserve - Pala Wetland
  • Last publication date: 
    25-07-2022