Experience Sharing with IKI Projects for Preparation of Integrated Management Plans for Deepor Beel and Doloni Beel Wetlands in Assam

10 Feb, 2023

Over the course of preparing Integrated Management Plans (IMP) for its four pilot Ramsar Site, the ‘Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate’ project has gained experience on best practices and developed working aids to support similar efforts for other wetlands in India. With an aim of sharing these experiences and enhancing synergies between IKI (International Climate Initiative) projects working on wetlands in India, the Wetlands project participated as experts in a workshop on integrated management planning for two wetlands in the north-eastern state of Assam, on 7th February 2023. The workshop was organised by the ‘Protection and Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources in the North-Eastern Himalayan Region of India’ (NERAQ) project which has been tasked with preparing IMPs for Deepor Beel and Doloni Beel wetlands in Assam, both facing significant challenges. The workshop was attended by agencies tasked with wetland assessments – IIT Guwahati and Aaranyak, Assam State Wetland Authority, site managers from Assam Forest Department and NEWS (Nature, Environment & Wildlife Society) the implementing partner for IKI-Living lakes biodiversity and climate project (IKI-LLBCP).

Participants were provided an introduction into the 8-step IMP process and tools to support wetland assessments such as Wetland Inventory, Assessment and Monitoring Systems (WIAMS Framework), Rapid Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services (RAWES) and Climate Risk Assessment. Best practices for institutional analysis, wetland monitoring, and stakeholder consultations were shared to provide guidance for upcoming integrated management planning for Doloni Beel and Deepor Beel.

About the project

The Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection project aims to strengthen the institutional framework and capacities for an ecosystem-based integrated management of wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites) in India. Four Ramsar sites have been selected as pilot sites under the project: Pong Dam and Renuka Lake in Himachal Pradesh, Bhitarkanika Mangroves in Odisha, and the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in close cooperation with the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA). This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. Read More

For more information contact: biodiv.india@giz.de