Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve

Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve is a wetland community reserve located across Keshopur and Miani villages in Gurdaspur District, Punjab. Notified in 2007 as India's first Community Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, it covers about 343.9 hectares of marshes, ponds and cultivated wetlands. Managed with participation of local communities, it is notable for supporting resident and migratory waterbirds and for its mosaic of natural and man-made wetland habitats.

Visitors can expect a low-lying wetland landscape of marshes, lotus ponds, reed beds and agricultural fields interspersed with water bodies. The reserve is known for birdwatching, with resident and winter migratory waterbirds, and offers earthen trails, bunds and watchtowers for observation. The setting is rural and tranquil, surrounded by villages, with open skies and seasonal water levels influencing bird activity. Facilities are basic and the experience is focused on nature observation and photography.

Notified in 2007 by the Government of Punjab under Section 36C of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Keshopur-Miani was declared as India's first Community Reserve. The designation was made on private and community lands with consent of local communities to protect the wetland habitat while allowing sustainable use by villagers.

The reserve represents a community-based conservation model where local village panchayats of Keshopur and Miani participate in protection and management. It reflects traditional coexistence of agriculture and wetland use and is valued locally for its ecological and educational importance.