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Reiterating the Hidden Link Between Ecosystem Services and Nutrition
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“Excited for a refreshing glass of rhododendron juice as spring approaches, or perhaps a dash of honey in your breakfast bowl?”
You have the forests to thank for, from where these ingredients are sourced. Beyond adding flavour to our daily diet, forests play a crucial role in sustaining livelihoods and ensuring food security for many, especially women and dependent rural communities. |
| © GIZ/ Neha Bisht and Aashima Negi (L-R) |
| Community of Practice Launched to Tackle Sustainability Challenges in Indian Spice Sector |
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For generations, the Thory family in Barmer, Rajasthan, has grown cumin, a staple in Indian kitchens and a key export crop. But shifting weather patterns and climate change have made farming unpredictable. "The summers are hotter than ever, and the rains come when they shouldn’t," says Thakraram, a cumin farmer. "Our yields are shrinking. Cumin needs dry weather and cool nights, but now we’re losing crops due to erratic rainfall, rising night temperatures, and more pests than before."
Thakraram’s story is not unique. Across India, farmers growing cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, and other spices face unpredictable weather, soil degradation, and rising costs due to increased use of agrochemicals. These changes threaten the spices that have shaped India's culinary and economic identity. |
| © International Spice Conference |
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New Releases and Resources |
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Training Curriculum: Wetland Conservation and Management
This training curriculum is designed to support the capacities and skills needed for the effective conservation and management of wetland ecosystems in India. It covers key topics such as the importance of wetlands, their governance, sustainable use, monitoring, and management. Additionally, the curriculum includes tailored training plans for various groups, including site managers, field staff, and local communities, ensuring the delivery of capacity development measures in a participatory manner.
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Peatlands of India: Storing Carbon, Sustaining Life and Securing Tomorrow.
India’s peatlands, covering 0.4% of the land, are vital carbon sinks, biodiversity hubs, and hydrological regulators, with the Himalayas holding the highest median carbon stock, this factsheet maps their extent, highlights threats, and calls for scientific assessment, monitoring, and conservation. |
Brochure on National CEPA Strategy for Wetlands Conservation, Uttar Pradesh
People’s participation is essential to ensure sustained wetland conservation. The National Wetland Communication, Education, Participation, and Awareness (CEPA) Strategy brochure draws from 12 pilot projects in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, outlining a systematic, participatory approach to wetland conservation through CEPA, empowering communities for sustained management.
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Saat Kadam Poster: Seven Steps for Conserving Small Waterbodies
India’s 500,000+ small wetlands, known locally as kulam, bheri, taalab, etc, sustain rural life through livelihoods, water resources, and cultural traditions, while providing vital ecological services. To support their conservation, the Saat Kadam poster outlines seven practical steps for local communities to safeguard these crucial ecosystems. |
Wetlands for LiFE Booklet
Mission LiFE, launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister at COP26, promotes water conservation, climate resilience, and biodiversity protection that are embedded within cultural ethos of India. Supported by case studies, this booklet links wetlands' ecosystem services to Mission LiFE’s core themes, while showcasing community and individual-driven conservation, and traditional knowledge, as well as institutional initiatives.
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Updates from the Projects |
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World Wetlands Day 2025: Everything You Need to Know
World Wetlands Day 2025 carries special significance because it shares its theme with the upcoming 15th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (July 2025). |
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Important Days and Events |
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The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, in partnership with GIZ India is implementing the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme (IGBP).
Commissioned in India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), the programme addresses various challenges of biodiversity conservation across projects.
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Other Relevant Newsletters |
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