World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

The UN General Assembly on 30 August 2021 adopted Resolution 75/317 that established 2 February as World Wetlands Day.

About Wetlands

A broad definition of wetlands is Land areas that are saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally. It includes all lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans.

They can be classified as follows.

1. Inland wetlands: Marshes, lakes, rivers, floodplains, peatlands and swamps
2. Coastal wetlands : Saltwater marshes, estuaries, mangroves, lagoons and coral reefs
3. Human-made wetlands : Fish ponds, rice paddies and salt pans

Wetlands are among the most diverse and productive ecosystems. They provide essential services and supply all our fresh water. However they continue to be degraded and converted to other uses.

The wise use of wetlands is “the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development”. Wise use can thus be seen as the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and all the services they provide, for the benefit of people and nature.

For the list of Wetlands of International Importance, click here.

Wetlands in India

India is endowed by a rich diversity of wetlands ranging from high altitude wetlands of Himalayas, floodplains of mighty rivers as Ganges and Brahmaputra, lagoons and mangrove marshes on the coastline and reefs in the marine environments. As per National Wetland Atlas, India has nearly 4.6% of its land as wetlands, covering an area of 15.26 million hectares.  

India became a party to the Ramsar Convention in 1982, and as on 01 February 2024 has 80 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites). The total area covered under Ramsar sites is now 1.33 million ha, which is approximately 8% of the area of known wetlands in the country and the highest in South Asia.. Tamil Nadu continues to have maximum number of Ramsar Sites (16 sites) followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).  

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as the nodal Ministry for wetlands conservation have been assisting State Governments since 1985 in design and implementation of integrated management plans. Financial assistance has been provided to State Governments for implementation of management plans for 180 wetlands. In 2017, the Ministry has also notified the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules as the regulatory framework for wetlands in the country. Several states have also notified wetland authorities and acts and rules for conservation and wise-use of wetlands.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched Mission Sahbhagita in 2022 with a mission of ‘a healthy and effectively managed network of 75 wetlands of national and international significance which support water and food security; buffer from floods, droughts, cyclones and other extreme events; employment generation; conservation of species of local, national and international significance; climate change mitigation and adaptation actions; and recognition, conservation and celebration of cultural heritage.’

Amrit Dharohar initiative, part of the 2023-24 budget announcement, was launched by MoEF&CC during June 2023 to promote unique conservation values of the Ramsar Sites in the country while generating employment opportunities and supporting local livelihoods. This initiative is to be implemented over three years in convergence with various Central Government ministries and agencies, State Wetland Authorities, and a network of formal and informal institutions and individuals, working together for a common cause.

This year, the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India in collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh, is organizing the national World Wetlands Day event at Sirpur Lake, Indore, a Ramsar site designated in 2022.

The Ramsar Convention

The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

Under the “three pillars” of the Convention, the Contracting Parties commit to:

• work towards the wise use of all their wetlands;
• designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”) and ensure their effective management
• cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species.

Source : RAMSAR

Theme for 2024 - Wetlands and Human Wellbeing

This year’s World Wetland’s Day celebrates the relationship that people have had with wetlands throughout time. Our interdependence is both beautiful and fragile. And the 2024 campaign spotlights the urgency with which we need to act in order to preserve and restore these richly biodiverse ecosystems that underpin human wellbeing.