Why in the News?
India's resolution titled 'Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for Wetlands' has been adopted at Ramsar 15th Conference of Parties (CoP) to Zimbabwe, with 172 countries supporting it.
More on the News
- The resolution aligns with the principles of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
- Mission LiFE is an India-led global movement introduced at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) in 2021.
- It aims to nudge individuals and communities to practice a lifestyle that is synchronous with nature and does not harm it.
About Wise Use of Wetland
- It is the core principle of wetland conservation under the Ramsar Convention.
- The Convention defines wise use as maintaining the ecological character of wetlands using ecosystem-based approaches within the context of sustainable development.
- Contracting parties are mandated to promote wise use through national plans, legislation, management actions and public education.
- India's Approach to Wise Use of Wetlands
- The National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA).
- Integrated Management Plans (IMPs) outline strategies for sustainable use.
- India released a 2024 framework titled "Wetland Wise Use – An Implementation Framework".
- 'Mission Sahbhagita' and 'Save Wetlands' Campaign have witnessed over 2 million citizens as volunteers, enabling the mapping of more than 170,000 wetland.
Other Outcomes of COP15
Outcome/Initiative | Description |
Adoption of "Victoria Falls" Declaration | Acknowledges ecological, social, and economic roles of wetlands; highlights contribution to biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and UN SDGs |
Launch of Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative (IBRRI) Strategic Plan 2025–2030 | To halt and reverse wetland loss Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam |
Launch of BRIDGE Programme | Grants on gender mainstreaming and women leadership |
Freshwater Challenge | To enhance implementation of the Convention |
Endorsement of establishment of Global Waterbird Estimates Partnership (GWEP) | GWEP (established under Ramsar Convention) integrates data sources, build monitoring capacity, provide information for conservation agreements to combat the global decline of waterbird populations and wetland degradation. |
