In news– Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’ in the presence of the Chief Minister of Goa.
About the campaign-
- This campaign is structured on a “whole of society” approach for wetlands conservation, enabling affirmative actions for wetlands conservation at all levels of the society and involving all strata of the society.
- This campaign over next one year will include sensitizing people of the value of wetlands, increasing the coverage of wetland mitras and building citizen partnerships for wetlands conservation.
- Two publications were also released during the occasion, ‘India’s 75 Amrit Dharohar- India’s Ramsar Sites Factbook’ and ‘ Managing Climate Risks in Wetlands – A Practitioner’s Guide.
- The factbook is a one-stop resource of information on our 75 Ramsar Sites, including their values, threats they face and management arrangements.
- The practitioner’s Guide on Climate Risk Assessment provides step-wise guidance on assessing the site-level climate risks and integration of adaptation and mitigation responses into the wetland management plan.
Note:
- World Wetland Day is celebrated annually on February 2 with the aim to create awareness of the vital role wetlands play for people and the planet.
- The proposal for the convention on wetlands was first made on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
- The theme for 2023 World Wetlands Day was ‘It’s Time for Wetlands Restoration,’ which focuses on the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration.
Mission Sahbhagita-
- In line with emphasis on participatory management of wetlands by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the mission and vision of Sahbhagita Mission, based on advisory issued by the Ministry, State Governments and UT administrations celebrated World Wetlands Day enthusiastically at all 75 Ramsar sites. The wetland pledge was administered during these events.
- The site level celebrations was followed by a Regional Consultative Workshop for Restoration and Integrated Management of Wetlands held at Goa on February 3, 2023 which saw participation of 48 representatives from 7 states namely Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
- This workshop, organised under Mission Sahbhagita, is a platform for sharing wetland management experiences, success stories, best practices as well challenges.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched Mission Sahbhagita in 2022 with a mission of ‘a healthy and effectively managed network of 75 wetlands of national and international significance which support water and food security; buffer from floods, droughts, cyclones and other extreme events; employment generation; conservation of species of local, national and international significance; climate change mitigation and adaptation actions; and recognition, conservation and celebration of cultural heritage.
Source: PIB
