Consultative Committee Meeting of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change held on ‘75@75 Ramsar Sites’ – EQ Mag
A meeting of the Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) was held in New Delhi today . The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav.
Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kumari Agatha Sangma, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Shri Ganesh Singh, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Shri Sunil Kumar Soni, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Shri Ayodhya Rami Reddy, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Shri Ramulu Pothuganti, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Dr. Kirodi Lal, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Shri Janardan Mishra, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Shri Kotagiri Sridhar, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Shri Mahesh Sahoo, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Shri Amar Patnaik, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Shri Binoy Viswam, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), and officials of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, India’s significant milestone on the 75th year of independence by declaring 75 wetlands to the list of Wetlands of International Importance of the Ramsar Convention was highlighted. The network of Indian Ramsar Sites covering approx. 1.33 million ha, over 8% of the known wetland extent of the country is the second largest in Asia and fifth in the world in terms of total number of designated Ramsar Sites. The committee members appreciated the efforts of MoEF&CC for designating 75 wetlands as Ramsar Sites.
Committee members were also appraised about the recently announced Amrit Dharohar Initiative launched on 5th June 2023 by MoEF&CC during the World Environment Day. Amrit Dharohar is an initiative that aims to promote conservation values of Ramsar Sites to create demonstration, replication, and upscaling effect on other wetlands of national and international importance. The scheme is to be implemented over the next three years with a goal of conservation and wise use of Ramsar Sites for safeguarding and enhancing biological diversity, cultural heritage, food, water and climate security, sustainable livelihood opportunities and societal well-being. Guided by the Mission LiFE and Sahbhagita approach, the implementation strategy of Amrit Dharohar consists of four key components such as Species and Habitat Conservation, Nature Tourism, Wetlands Livelihoods, Wetlands Carbon. The Committee appreciated the holistic approach of the Amrit Dharohar implementation strategy.
It was agreed to take up the conservation issues of wetlands in a holistic manner and in coordination with state and UT governments involving NGOs, Panchayats and local communities.
Shri Bhupender Yadav while highlighting the importance of wetlands, shared the steps taken by the centre under PM Shri Narendra Modi for wetland protection and conservation. He also discussed India’s feat of getting 75 sites designated as Ramsar sites during 75th years of independence and emphasised on the importance of wise use of wetlands.
Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey highlighted on the importance of involving panchayats and youth in wetland conservation and management.
