First District Wetland Committee Meeting in Himachal Pradesh: A Collaborative Action for Conservation

23 Apr, 2024

The Government of Himachal Pradesh notified District level Wetland Committees (DWC) on 31 October 2023 to facilitate effective monitoring and management of wetlands at districts. DWCs comprise representatives from key line departments, ensuring a multi-sectoral approach to wetland management. Their importance lies in enabling localised, coordinated actions for wetland conservation, reflecting unique needs and challenges of each district.

On 23 April, the first-ever meeting of DWC in Himachal Pradesh took place in Nahan, District Sirmaur, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, with the DCF (Wildlife) Shimla as the Member Convenor. The meeting included representatives from key local departments and special guests from Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection Project and Waste Warriors.  

Renuka lake is a natural wetland in Sirmaur District with immense cultural significance and biodiversity values. It is recognized as a wetland of international importance and declared a Ramsar Site in 2005. This is reflected in the DWC meeting agenda with integrated management of Renuka lake taking centerstage.

Key points on the agenda included action and convergence required for priorities highlighted in the Renuka wetland integrated management plan, prepared with the support of the MoEFCC-GIZ Wetlands Project and currently under consideration for funding under the NPCA scheme. These include the prevention of siltation through the implementation of soil moisture conservation measures identified for the Renuka lake catchment and the recharge zones of its 4 springs. Other measures on de-weeding, solid waste management, water quality and turtle conservation were also discussed in depth and decisions taken on joint action required by different departments such as Public Works Department (PWD), District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Jal Shakti Vibhag, and Himachal Pradesh Forest Department (HPFD) on these priorities with directions from the Chair to expedite the execution.  

District Wetland Committees can play a key role in driving convergence and joint action for wetlands conservation and wise use at an operational level i.e. district-level. Sirmaur District has set a great precedent for other districts in Himachal Pradesh. Additionally, Himachal Pradesh Council for Science, Technology and Environment (HIMCOSTE), with support from the Wetlands Project, is rolling out orientation workshops for all DWCs to support them in fulfilling their mandate.

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