Launch of Wetlands of India Portal

02 Oct, 2021

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (2^nd October, birthday of Mahatma Gandhi), the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Shri Bhupender Yadav launched the ‘Wetlands of India Portal’ - a single point access system for information relating to wetlands in India.

The portal is a dynamic knowledge repository for wetlands in India, making information available as provided by various users via their management information system (MIS) dashboard. The users include wetland authorities of states and union territories (SWAs), MoEFCC, wetland site managers, knowledge partners and even citizens. SWAs play a key role in populating further information of wetlands in their administration. Knowledge partners and wetland site managers contribute by providing information on wetlands marked to them by SWAs.

The portal provides a platform for citizens to learn more about wetlands and get involved in their conservation and management. Citizens can upload wetland related pictures across different themes and also opt to become a wetland mitra (Friends of wetlands), indicating areas of interest and location. This information is available to states and UTs, via their MIS dashboard, to then contact interested persons for various programs and initiatives. Features like the Health Card dashboard enable wetland monitoring over time. The portal also hosts capacity building material, data repository, videos, and information for students.

The portal has been developed under the Indo-German project “Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection”. In the run-up to the launch, the project started conducting hands-on training with SWAs such as Delhi State Wetland Authority to build capacities on various portal features including uploading wetlands information.

*

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