At Ramsar COP15: India’s Resolution and a New Tool for Wetlands

23 Sep, 2025

By: Avantika Bhaskar, Forestry and Biodiversity Advisor, Climate Action

The 15th meeting of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, marked a global resolve to protect, restore, and sustainably manage wetlands as critical ecosystems for biodiversity, climate regulation, and ecosystem services.

India presented a resolution to the Ramsar Contracting Parties on ‘Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for the Wise Use of Wetlands’, which was adopted emphasising the importance of individual and societal choices in wetland conservation. Across discussions, Contracting Parties focused on reversing wetland loss by boosting synergies with other environmental agreements, strengthening institutions, improving implementation tools, fostering partnerships, and ensuring adequate financial support.

A highlight of the side-event, Capturing Climate Co-Benefits of Wetlands, was the launch of the CoWET tool by GIZ India. This digital application is designed to assess, communicate and harness climate adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction co-benefits of wetlands.

This initiative is a part of the Indo-German Support Project for Climate Action in India, implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, commissioned by the International Climate Initiative(IKI) under Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

This easy-to-use tool supports planners, practitioners, and policymakers in informing disaster risk management, unlocking funding opportunities, and aligning local actions with global climate and biodiversity goals. It is now available as a downloadable application on the WetLands of India Portal.

This side event featured special remarks by Ms. Verena Klinger-Dering (Head of Division International Cooperation for Biodiversity, BMUKN) and Dr. Ramesh Motipalli (Director, Wetlands Division, MoEF&CC). The panel included Ms. Sonam Choden (Ramsar STRP Focal Point, Bhutan), Dr. Ritesh Kumar (Director, Wetlands International South Asia) and Ms. Louisa Chinyavu Mwenda (Regional Programme Manager, Wetlands International Eastern Africa). The discussion centred on opportunities for integrating adaptation co-benefits into wetland management plans and investments, leveraging local ecological knowledge to enhance the assessment of wetland-based adaptation benefits, and driving the transformation of wetlands towards greater functionality.

India’s resolution to the Ramsar Contracting Parties on ‘Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for the Wise Use of Wetlands’, adopted at Ramsar CoP15 in Zimbabwe | © ENB-IISD, Anastasia Rodopoulou

Special remarks by Ms. Verena Klinger-Dering, BMUKN and Dr Ramesh Motipalli, MoEF&CC at the side event, ‘Capturing Climate Co-Benefits of Wetlands’ | © WISA

Presentation of the methodology for assessing the climate co-benefits of wetland management | © WISA