Wetlands are ecosystems located at the interface of land and water. We see them in various forms such as, marshes, lagoons, estuaries, mangroves, peatlands, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, floodplains and deltas. As highly productive ecosystems, wetlands are vital parts of the water cycle and support rich biological diversity.

There are over 750,000 wetlands in India which are spread over 152,600 km2 (National Wetlands Atlas 2011). Distributed across ten bio-geographic zones – from the Trans-Himalayas to the Indian Islands – these wetlands exhibit an enormous diversity and support a variety of ecosystem services: freshwater provision, food, fibre and fuels, groundwater recharge and purification, pollution abatement, flood mitigation, erosion control and carbon sequestration. They also provide cultural and recreational benefits. Wetlands directly and indirectly support the livelihoods of millions of Indians. In India, 75 wetlands of international importance have been designated under the Ramsar Convention.

Many wetlands are threatened by reclamation and degradation through drainage and landfill, pollution, hydrological alteration, over-exploitation and climate change resulting in loss of biodiversity and disruption in ecosystem benefits to the society. Wetlands in India form an integral component of biodiversity conservation, water and food security and climate protection.

Four main output areas define the implementation approach of the project:

• Integrated management planning for 3-4 pilot Ramsar sites based on biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate change risks.
• Capacity development of national, state and site level stakeholders for integrated wetland management.
• Development of a wetland monitoring system, including an instrument to track management effectiveness.
• Implementation of ecosystem-based sustainable livelihood measures (green recovery post COVID-19)

PROGRESS

• An Inventory, Assessment and Monitoring Framework for Indian Wetlands for wetland managers has been developed which lists prioritised parameters based on their relevance in management, feasibility, and practicality of assessment. This was released at a side-event hosted by the project during CMS COP13, Gujarat.
• Illustrative factsheets on wetland values and benefits and threats to the wetland were prepared for the project Ramsar sites for communication and engagement with the local stakeholders. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), along with GIZ and other partners, produced a similar factsheets booklet for all the Ramsar sites of India; the first issue of which was released by MoEFCC during CMS COP13, 2020. Link to updated booklet.