Which international environmental convention, signed in 1971, provides the global framework for the conservation and sustainable utilization of ecologically vital wetland ecosystems such as Vembanad-Kol and Ashtamudi lakes in Kerala?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty adopted in 1971 in Iran that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of globally significant wetland habitats. Other conventions focus on endangered species trade or migratory wildlife rather than wetlands. Kerala hosts several designated Ramsar sites, including the Vembanad-Kol and Ashtamudi wetland systems.