Latest news with #COP15
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
India showcases its wetland conservation model at COP15, cites its achievements
NEW DELHI: India has showcased the country's wetland conservation model at the ongoing 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, highlighting how it has rejuvenated over 68,827 small wetlands with people's participation and technological interventions, including use of advanced GIS-based mapping, under dedicated schemes in just one year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The ' Mission Sahbhagita ', launched in 2022, to promote an 'all of society' approach to wetlands conservation and the 'Amrit Sarovar' scheme, launched to rejuvenate and develop 50,000 small wetlands (75 wetlands in each district), got special mention during the country's presentation. It was highlighted that 68,827 wetlands were rejuvenated and developed within one year. Financing for the exercise happened in convergence with ongoing schemes. It was shared that mapping of wetlands using advanced satellite imaging techniques, covering wetlands of up to 0.1 hectare, and physical boundary delineation are being done for inventory targeted conservation and management. At the conference, India last week invited all countries to mainstream sustainable lifestyles into their policies and practices for effective management of wetlands and their conservation. Articulating India's stand and highlighting the country's contribution to global wetlands conservation, environment minister Bhupender Yadav said the country has 91 Ramsar Sites (spread over 1.36 million hectares). This is the largest network in Asia and the third largest globally. He said, 'Over the past decade, we have expanded this network by 250%. For the first time, two Indian cities -- Udaipur and Indore -- have been accredited as wetland cities, showing our commitment to urban wetlands'. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A presentation was made at COP15 by the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden of Haryana, Vivek Saxena, with special focus on Sultanpur National Park (Gurgaon) and Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary (Jhajjar), both internationally designated Ramsar sites in the state, which exemplify ecosystem-based and community-led wetland conservation. The international convention on wetlands, adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, provides a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources across 172-member countries, including India.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
India showcases its wetland conservation model at COP15, cites its achievements
NEW DELHI: India has showcased the country's wetland conservation model at the ongoing 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, highlighting how it has rejuvenated over 68,827 small wetlands with people's participation and technological interventions, including use of advanced GIS-based mapping, under dedicated schemes in just one year. The ' Mission Sahbhagita ', launched in 2022, to promote an 'all of society' approach to wetlands conservation and the 'Amrit Sarovar' scheme, launched to rejuvenate and develop 50,000 small wetlands (75 wetlands in each district), got special mention during the country's presentation. It was highlighted that 68,827 wetlands were rejuvenated and developed within one year. Financing for the exercise happened in convergence with ongoing schemes. It was shared that mapping of wetlands using advanced satellite imaging techniques, covering wetlands of up to 0.1 hectare, and physical boundary delineation are being done for inventory targeted conservation and management. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Japanese AI invention allows you to speak 68 languages instantly. The idea? Genius. Enence 2.0 Undo At the conference, India last week invited all countries to mainstream sustainable lifestyles into their policies and practices for effective management of wetlands and their conservation. Articulating India's stand and highlighting the country's contribution to global wetlands conservation, environment minister Bhupender Yadav said the country has 91 Ramsar Sites (spread over 1.36 million hectares). This is the largest network in Asia and the third largest globally. He said, 'Over the past decade, we have expanded this network by 250%. For the first time, two Indian cities -- Udaipur and Indore -- have been accredited as wetland cities, showing our commitment to urban wetlands'. Live Events A presentation was made at COP15 by the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden of Haryana, Vivek Saxena, with special focus on Sultanpur National Park (Gurgaon) and Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary (Jhajjar), both internationally designated Ramsar sites in the state, which exemplify ecosystem-based and community-led wetland conservation. The international convention on wetlands, adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, provides a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources across 172-member countries, including India.
Observer
2 days ago
- General
- Observer
Oman gains Ramsar accreditation for Al Wusta Wetlands Reserve
MUSCAT, JULY 27 In a new environmental achievement, the Sultanate of Oman has received official accreditation from the Ramsar Convention for the inclusion of the Wetland Reserve in Al Wusta Governorate on the list of Wetlands of International importance. This marks the third Omani site to be included in this prestigious list, following the Al Qurm Nature Reserve (2013) and Al Ansab Wetlands (2020). This achievement was announced on the sidelines of the 15th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention (COP15), held under the theme 'Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future' in Zimbabwe, which continues until July 31. This official international recognition represents a culmination of Oman's efforts in biodiversity conservation and its commitment to implementing international environmental standards for protecting fragile ecosystems. It also highlights the reserve's status as one of the most important ecological sites at both regional and global levels. Ramsar Sites and the List of Wetlands of International Importance come under the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, 1971), where each contracting party undertakes to designate at least one wetland site for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance. There are over 2,000 'Ramsar Sites' on the territories of over 160 Contracting Parties across the world. The Ramsar describes this environmentally significant place: 'The site lies within Al Wusta Wetlands Reserve and covers about 80 per cent of the reserve's area. It features coastal waters with rare marine vegetation, alkaline lakes and marshes, coral and bivalve reefs, mangroves, and 'sabkha', which are intertidal flats with mineral deposits formed by seawater evaporation.' Located in the Wilayat of Mahout, the wetlands were declared a reserve by a Royal Decree in 2014. According to the report, the Barr Al Hikman peninsula occupies the largest area of the site and has a coastline of about 160 km. It consists of coastal and inland plains of salt, mud flats, and some saltwater lakes of unique natural and geological importance overlooking the west coast of Masirah Island.
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
68k small wetlands revived in a year: Haryana at Ramsar COP15
Gurgaon: Haryana revived 68,827 small wetlands in a year as part of the Amrit Sarovar Mission and Mission Sahbhagita, state govt officials announced at Ramsar COP15 being held at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Officials said the state's model to revive these small-scale wetlands, most of them less than 1-hectare area, drew international attention for the projects' speed and replicability. Key to this initiative, officials said, was the govt's 'all of society' approach, which involved gram panchayats, local communities, schoolchildren and NGOs. They were asked to identify, restore and maintain these water bodies. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon Instead of prioritising only large lakes or Ramsar sites, the state targeted small wetlands — ponds, johads and other traditional water bodies that had either dried up, vanished, or became waste-dumping sites, they said. "We focused on the wetlands closest to people because that's where the fastest ecological and social turnaround can happen," said Dr Vivek Saxena, Haryana's principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), who also holds charge as the chief wildlife warden. Saxena presented the govt's achievement at the Zimbabwe event on Saturday. He also represented India at another event – National Wetland Inventories: Tools, Challenges and Opportunities Across the Globe – held on the sidelines of COP15. Reviving these small waterbodies largely involves interventions such as desilting, garbage removal, fencing, planting vegetation along the banks and putting up signboards. These steps can help revive basic functions of waterbodies, especially in rural or semi-urban areas, but they don't necessarily restore ecological balance or biodiversity of the area. Those outcomes typically require longer-term planning, catchment-level interventions and sustained monitoring. According to the state govt, Panchkula – 2.9% -- has the highest geographical area covered by waterbodies. It is followed by Yamunanagar (2.2%) and Faridabad (1.7%). Gurgaon cover is at 0.6% approximately, and Mahendergarh (0.16% and Kurukshetra (0.08%) have the smallest shares.
Muscat Daily
3 days ago
- Muscat Daily
Al Wusta Wetlands Reserve gets Ramsar certification
Muscat – Environment Authority has announced an achievement in environmental conservation. Oman has obtained the official Ramsar Convention accreditation certificate listing Al Wusta Wetlands Reserve in Mahout as a Wetland of International Importance. Prior to this, Qurm Nature Reserve and Al Ansab Wetland were designated as Ramsar Sites in 2013 and 2020 respectively. The new listing came within the framework of activities of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention (COP15), currently being held in Zimbabwe till July 31, under the slogan 'Protecting Wetlands for Our Shared Future'. 'This international recognition crowns the efforts of the sultanate in preserving biodiversity and reflects its commitment to implementing international environmental standards to protect fragile ecosystems,' EA stated. The reserve is a vibrant mosaic of ecosystems, boasting rare biological diversity both regionally and globally. This makes it a unique site for biodiversity studies and sustainable wetland utilisation, especially in the intertidal zone. Spread over an area of about 214mn hectares, the reserve houses a plethora of ecosystems exhibiting high environmental sensitivity. From natural marine islands, bays, creeks and coastal dunes to expansive landfills, salt flats, gravel plains and wild grasses, the reserve is a repository of ecological riches. The marine life too is diverse, inclusive of rare entities like the Arabian Sea humpback whale, along with other whales and dolphins. Additionally, the area along the coast of Mahout Island in Ghubbat Hashish showcases the largest undisturbed concentration of mangrove trees in Oman, covering about 162 hectares. The reserve's natural allure has the potential to draw nature enthusiasts, bird watchers and wildlife admirers, which can directly boost eco-tourism – a conduit to bolster the national economy through environmentally sustainable projects and investment opportunities, abiding by local and international laws to ensure the preservation and efficient utilisation of natural resources.
