Gogabeel Lake in Bihar Named India’s 94th Ramsar Site
Why in the news
Gogabeel (also spelt Gogabil) Lake in Bihar was added to the Ramsar list on 7 November 2025 as a wetland of international importance, becoming India’s 94th site.
Key facts
- Location: Katihar district, Bihar, flanked by the Mahananda River to the northeast and the Ganga to the south.
- Type: a natural oxbow lake, a crescent-shaped waterbody formed as a river meanders. It shrinks in summer but never dries.
- Tally: Bihar now holds six Ramsar sites, behind Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- Protection: Bihar’s first Community Reserve and its 15th protected area; also an Important Bird Area.
Birds
The lake is a wintering stop on the Central Asian Flyway. Species include Red-crested Pochard, Bar-headed Goose and Greylag Goose, and endangered ones such as Black-bellied Tern, Lesser Adjutant Stork, River Tern, Painted Stork and Black-headed Ibis.
Local use and threats
Villagers use it for irrigation, fishing, boating and watering livestock. Fertiliser and pesticide runoff from farms is a major risk.
Exam angle
- Remember 94th Ramsar site and Katihar.
- Know the definition of an oxbow lake.
- Bihar’s total: six Ramsar sites.