MCQs on “Wetland Conservation: Importance and Threats in India”

What percentage of India’s land area is covered by wetlands?
- (a) 2.5%
- (b) 4.6%
- (c) 6.5%
- (d) 8.2%
  Answer: (b) 4.6%
Which of the following is the largest freshwater lake in India?
- (a) Wular Lake
- (b) Loktak Lake
- (c) Chilika Lake
- (d) Pulicat Lake
  Answer: (a) Wular Lake
Wetlands are often called the “kidneys of the Earth” because they:
- (a) Filter and purify water.
- (b) Store nutrients.
- (c) Act as carbon sinks.
- (d) Provide habitat for species.
  Answer: (a) Filter and purify water.
Which of the following wetlands is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India?
- (a) Sunderbans
- (b) Keoladeo National Park
- (c) Chilika Lake
- (d) Loktak Lake
  Answer: (b) Keoladeo National Park
The Ramsar Convention is associated with:
- (a) Wetland conservation.
- (b) Climate change mitigation.
- (c) Biodiversity preservation.
- (d) Forest protection.
  Answer: (a) Wetland conservation.

As of 2024, how many Ramsar Sites are there in India?
- (a) 64
- (b) 75
- (c) 50
- (d) 49
  Answer: (b) 75
Which is the first Indian wetland to be designated as a Ramsar site?
- (a) Keoladeo National Park
- (b) Chilika Lake
- (c) Loktak Lake
- (d) Sunderbans
  Answer: (b) Chilika Lake
Which state has the highest number of Ramsar sites in India?
- (a) Tamil Nadu
- (b) Uttar Pradesh
- (c) Gujarat
- (d) Punjab
  Answer: (b) Uttar Pradesh
Which Ramsar site in India is known as the “floating lake”?
- (a) Chilika Lake
- (b) Loktak Lake
- (c) Sambhar Lake
- (d) Deepor Beel
  Answer: (b) Loktak Lake
Which Ramsar site is home to the famous endangered Siberian crane?
- (a) Keoladeo National Park
- (b) Chilika Lake
- (c) Kolleru Lake
- (d) Vembanad Lake
  Answer: (a) Keoladeo National Park

What is the primary cause of wetland degradation in India?
- (a) Climate change
- (b) Urbanization
- (c) Overgrazing
- (d) Oil spills
  Answer: (b) Urbanization
Which invasive species is a major threat to Indian wetlands?
- (a) Lantana camara
- (b) Prosopis juliflora
- (c) Water hyacinth
- (d) Parthenium hysterophorus
  Answer: (c) Water hyacinth
Excessive use of fertilizers in agriculture near wetlands causes:
- (a) Desertification
- (b) Eutrophication
- (c) Salinization
- (d) Acidification
  Answer: (b) Eutrophication
Rising sea levels due to climate change pose a significant threat to which type of wetlands?
- (a) Mangroves
- (b) Marshes
- (c) Peatlands
- (d) Swamps
  Answer: (a) Mangroves
Illegal encroachments on wetlands are primarily for:
- (a) Agricultural expansion
- (b) Industrial development
- (c) Residential construction
- (d) All of the above
  Answer: (d) All of the above

The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules were enacted in India in:
- (a) 2010
- (b) 2017
- (c) 2006
- (d) 2014
  Answer: (b) 2017
Which program focuses on the wise use of wetlands in India?
- (a) Green India Mission
- (b) National Wetland Conservation Programme
- (c) Project Tiger
- (d) Biodiversity Action Plan
  Answer: (b) National Wetland Conservation Programme
India is a signatory to which international treaty for wetland conservation?
- (a) Kyoto Protocol
- (b) Ramsar Convention
- (c) CITES
- (d) Paris Agreement
  Answer: (b) Ramsar Convention
Which organization in India is responsible for wetland management?
- (a) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
- (b) Central Pollution Control Board
- (c) NITI Aayog
- (d) National Biodiversity Authority
  Answer: (a) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
What is the primary goal of wetland restoration projects?
- (a) Increase agricultural productivity
- (b) Restore ecological functions
- (c) Facilitate urban development
- (d) Increase fishing activities
  Answer: (b) Restore ecological functions

Which wetland in Gujarat is known for its population of flamingos?
- (a) Nal Sarovar
- (b) Thol Lake
- (c) Khijadiya Wetland
- (d) All of the above
  Answer: (d) All of the above
Sundarbans mangroves are essential for:
- (a) Preventing coastal erosion.
- (b) Acting as a cyclone buffer.
- (c) Supporting tiger habitats.
- (d) All of the above.
  Answer: (d) All of the above.
Vembanad Lake in Kerala is under threat due to:
- (a) Pollution from houseboats.
- (b) Agricultural runoff.
- (c) Invasive species.
- (d) All of the above.
  Answer: (d) All of the above.
Sambhar Lake, India’s largest inland saltwater lake, is located in:
- (a) Gujarat
- (b) Rajasthan
- (c) Uttar Pradesh
- (d) Maharashtra
  Answer: (b) Rajasthan
Deepor Beel, a Ramsar site, is situated in which state?
- (a) West Bengal
- (b) Assam
- (c) Odisha
- (d) Tamil Nadu
  Answer: (b) Assam

Nature-based solutions for wetland conservation include:
- (a) Planting native vegetation.
- (b) Constructing artificial wetlands.
- (c) Restoring mangroves.
- (d) All of the above.
  Answer: (d) All of the above.
Ecotourism in wetlands can contribute to:
- (a) Habitat destruction.
- (b) Raising conservation funds.
- (c) Overcrowding.
- (d) Resource depletion.
  Answer: (b) Raising conservation funds.
One of the main objectives of the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) is to:
- (a) Protect Himalayan wetlands.
- (b) Increase forest cover.
- (c) Develop wetland biodiversity.
- (d) Mitigate greenhouse gases.
  Answer: (a) Protect Himalayan wetlands.
Wetland inventories in India are created by:
- (a) State governments.
- (b) Space Applications Centre (SAC).
- (c) Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).
- (d) National Green Tribunal (NGT).
  Answer: (b) Space Applications Centre