New Delhi: In a significant stride towards wetland conservation, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) concluded its year-long ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’ on World Wetlands Day 2024, celebrated at the Sirpur Ramsar Site in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The campaign, launched on February 4, 2023, under the theme ‘Wetlands Restoration,’ aimed to create mass awareness and actively involve communities in the integrated management and monitoring of wetlands across India.
The campaign, aligned with the goals of Amrit Dharohar, focused on four key components: Species and Habitat Conservation, Nature Tourism, Wetlands Livelihoods, and Wetlands Carbon Assessment. The Species and Habitat Conservation component included the preparation of Integrated Management Plans (IMPs) for Ramsar sites, addressing activities such as deweeding, desilting, pollution control, and abatement. To date, IMPs for 14 Ramsar sites have been prepared.
As part of the Swachhta Special Campaign 3.0 from October 2nd to 31st, 2023, the MoEFCC, in collaboration with State/UT Wetland Authorities, organized wetlands cleaning activities around various Amrit Dharohar sites, i.e., Ramsar sites, across the nation.
World Wetlands Day, observed globally on February 2nd each year, commemorates the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 1971. The day aims to raise awareness about the crucial role of wetlands for both people and the planet.
During the World Wetlands Day 2024 event, more than 1.9 million people were sensitized about wetland conservation through a participatory approach. The campaign achieved significant milestones, including over 75,000 ground truthing exercises of wetlands, the preparation of health cards for more than 5,800 wetlands, and the registration of over 17,000 Wetland Mitras.
An exhibition held on the occasion featured participation from around 25 exhibitors representing different States, technical organizations, and government departments. Stalls showcased diverse aspects such as wetland products, wetland tourism, wetland livelihoods, Mission LiFE, Green Skill Building Programme, and more, highlighting the widespread impact of the ‘Save Wetlands Campaign.’
Knowledge products on wetland conservation were also released during the event. Additionally, all wetland authorities of states/UTs organized various events in their respective regions to mark World Wetlands Day 2024.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, shared that on the eve of World Wetlands Day 2024, five more wetlands were designated as Ramsar sites, bringing the total tally of Ramsar sites in the country from 75 to 80. The Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to promoting unique conservation values and implementing strategies for the sustainable preservation of wetlands across the nation.