Indore and Udaipur have become the first two Indian cities to make it to the global list of accredited wetland cities under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

• Indore: Sirpur Lake (Ramsar Site) recognised for water bird congregation and is being developed as a bird sanctuary.
• Udaipur: Surrounded by five major wetlands, namely, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and Doodh Talai.

About Wetland City Accreditation (WCA)

• It is a voluntary Accreditation system that provides an opportunity for cities that value their natural or human-made wetlands to gain international recognition and positive publicity for their efforts. 
• It was approved at Uruguay in COP12 of Ramsar Convention (2015).
• It is valid for 6 years, after which it must be renewed, providing that it continues to fill each of the 6 criteria (refer image). 

Significance of WCA

• Promote conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.
• Encourage cities near and dependent on wetlands, especially Wetlands of International Importance, to strengthen positive relationship with these valuable ecosystems.
• Help in implementation of Amrit Dharohar initiative of MoEF&CC.