Kerala, India: Western Standards on Fraction of Income
Kerala is also known as "God's Own Country," a nod to its natural beauty. Though much forest cover was subject to clearfelling during the 20th century, the government of Kerala has sought to protect much of its forests, like this one near Sabarimala. Meanwhile, two of the world’s Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455 sq km of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Still, many of Kerala's wetland birds are endangered due to weak wetlands protection.
Photo by flickr user sreenisreedharan
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