Context: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, announced the designation of Glaw Lake (also known as Glow Lake) in Arunachal Pradesh as India’s 101st Ramsar Site.
- This landmark recognition marks Arunachal Pradesh’s very first Ramsar Site, raising India’s national tally of internationally protected wetlands past the 100 mark.
About Glaw Lake (Glow Lake):
What It Is?
- Glaw Lake is a high-altitude, pristine, natural freshwater lake located in the Eastern Himalayas. Spread across an estimated area of 8 square kilometers at an elevation of approximately 1,168 meters above sea level, it serves as a major source for the perennial Kamlang River.
Located In:
- District: Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh (near the town of Wakro).
- Protected Area: Lies deep inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary (bounded by the Lang River to the north and Namdapha National Park to the south).
- Local Indigenous Habitat: Surrounded by traditional territories inhabited by the Miju Mishmi, Digaro Mishmi, and Idu Mishmi tribal communities.
Origin:
- Hydrological Origin: The lake is fed by multiple perennial high-altitude mountain streams flowing down from the Eastern Himalayan glaciated ridges.
- Geomorphological Origin: Formed through natural tectonic activity and land-block warping typical of the Eastern Himalayan structural fold belt, creating a natural high-altitude depression that impounds alpine run-off.
Key Geological & Ecological Features:
- High-Altitude Freshwater Basin: Covers an expanse of nearly 8 sq km with a circumference of 5 km, acting as the primary headwater origin for the Kamlang River within the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot.
- Rich Floral Diversity: The surrounding catchment supports a dense micro-climate hosting over 150 tree species (including Hollong, Canarium, and Rhododendron) and 49 recorded wild orchid species.
- Critical Habitat for Four Big Cats: The lake basin is one of the rare Himalayan eco-zones supporting all four major big cat species—Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard, Clouded Leopard, and Snow Leopard.
- Primate and Endemic Wildlife Refuge: Provides a contiguous forest corridor for endangered primates like the Hoolock Gibbon, Slow Loris, Capped Langur, alongside rare alpine mammals such as the Mishmi Takin and Red Panda.
