Wetland City Accreditation

Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has submitted three nominations from India for Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) of Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) & Udaipur (Rajasthan) under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

WCA – A voluntary scheme that recognizes cities which have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands.

Establishment – During the Ramsar Convention COP12, 2015.

Objectives – To recognize the importance of wetlands in urban and peri-urban environments and to take appropriate measures to conserve and protect these wetlands.

Significance – Cities can gain international recognition and positive branding opportunities for their efforts and provides sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.

It will generate public awareness about wetland conservation and also help in implementation of Amrit Dharohar in India which aims to foster sustainable ecosystem development with the help of local communities.

About Wetland City Accreditation:

The Ramsar Convention during COP12 held in the year 2015 approved a voluntary Wetland City Accreditation system.
It recognizes cities which have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands.
It also recognizes the importance of wetlands in urban and peri-urban environments and to take appropriate measures to conserve and protect these wetlands.
This voluntary scheme provides an opportunity for cities that value their natural or human-made wetlands to gain international recognition and positive publicity for their efforts.
This scheme aims to further promote the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.
To be formally accredited, a candidate for WCA should satisfy the standards used to implement each of the six international criteria mentioned in Operational Guidance for WCA of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Since Ramsar COP13, 43 cities from 17 countries have been officially recognized as “Wetland Cities”.

	Indore	Bhopal	Udaipur
Location	Madhya Pradesh	Bihar	Rajasthan
Ramsar Site (or) Wetland	Sirpur Lake, a bird sanctuary	Bhoj Wetland with Jal Tarang (wetland interpretation centre)	5 wetlands –Pichola Fateh Sagar Rang Sagar Swaroop Sagar Doodh Talai
Efforts & Recognitions	-Wetland mitras for Sarus Crane. -Cleanest city in India. -India’s Smart City Award 2023.	-Wetland mitras for Sarus Crane. -Lake Conservation Cell -Draft City Development Plan 2031

6 Criteria for getting WEA

It has one or more Ramsar Sites, or other significant wetlands which provide(s) a range of ecosystem services to the city;
It has adopted measures for conservation of wetlands.
It has implemented wetland restoration measures.
It considers the challenges and opportunities of integrated spatial/land-use planning for wetlands under its jurisdiction.
It has raised public awareness about the values of wetlands and enabled public participation in decision-making processes.
It has established a local committee to support the preparation work and the implementation of measures.

Source: pib

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