Rann of Kutch is a large area of salt marshes located in mostly in Sindh, Pakistan and the western tip of Gujarat (primarily the Kutch district), India. It is divided into two main parts; Great Rann of Kutch and Little Rann of Kutch.
Geography
The Rann of Kutch is located in the Thar Desert bio-geographic area in the Pakistani province of Sindh with some parts in Indian state of Gujarat. The area is also spread across the Sindh province in Pakistan. It is a seasonally marshy region, the word Rannmeaning “salt marsh”, alternating with medaks, elevated pieces of land where vegetation grows.
Kutch is the name of the district in Gujarat where this region is situated. The marsh covers a huge area of around 10,000 square miles and is positioned between the Gulf of Kutch and the mouth of the Indus River in southern Pakistan. To the northeast corner of the Rann of Kutch lies the Luni River, originating in Rajasthan.
Ecological importance
The Rann of Kutch is the only large flooded grasslands zone in the whole Indo-Malayan region of the planet.The fact that the area has desert on one side and the sea on the other provides the Rann of Kutch with a variety of ecosystems, includingmangroves and desert vegetation. The grassland and deserts of the Rann of Kutch are home to forms of wildlife that have adapted to the often harsh conditions of this vast area. These include endemic and endangered animal and plant species.