RAS question
The Montreux Record under the Ramsar Convention lists:
Correct answer: (A) Wetlands where ecological changes have occurred or are likely.
The Montreux Record under the Ramsar Convention lists Ramsar wetlands where ecological character has changed, is changing, or is likely to change.
Explanation
The Montreux Record is not a separate list of every important wetland; it is a warning register within the Ramsar framework. Parties undertake to maintain the ecological character of listed sites and to report when that character has changed, is changing, or is likely to change. The Montreux Record identifies Ramsar sites that need priority conservation attention at the national or international level. That is why option A is the precise answer: the trigger is actual or potential ecological change in a Ramsar wetland. Keoladeo Ghana and Loktak Lake from India are on this record.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) All Ramsar sites are not automatically placed on the Montreux Record; it is reserved for sites facing actual or likely ecological-character change.
- (C) A well-maintained wetland is not the target of the Montreux Record, which focuses on sites needing priority conservation attention because of ecological stress.
- (D) The Montreux Record is a warning and conservation-attention mechanism, not simply a list of wetlands to be removed from the Ramsar List.
Concept
This tests the Ramsar Convention mechanism for monitoring ecological character in wetlands of international importance. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan-linked environment questions often ask not just site names, but the legal purpose of conservation lists and records.