Release of Book to commemorate World Wetlands Day 2021


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On the occasion of, World Wetlands Day, a book “Framework for Ecological Monitoring of Ramsar Sites and other Wetlands in India”, was released virtually by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti. The dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri Ratan Lal Kataria, Hon’ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, Shri Pankaj Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga. Dr. Dhananjai Mohan, Director, Wildlife Institute of India, Dr. Ruchi Badola, Scientist G, Wildlife Institute of India, Dr. S.A. Hussain, and NMCG-WII project team joined virtually for release of the book.

 

This book is an output of the Wildlife Institute of India’s and National Mission for Clean Ganga’s biodiversity conservation and Ganga rejuvenation initiative. This document will aid in comprehensive monitoring of the wetlands through easy techniques, and can be readily used by a large number of stakeholders. It provides a robust framework that addresses ecosystem level processes and functions to evaluate and prioritize wetlands for focused conservation action. The information generated using this framework would provide scientific baseline regarding the ecological conditions of wetlands, identification of specific cause of degradation and, will aid in prioritizing and planning focused conservation actions and management decisions. The monitoring techniques provided in this document are in sync with the Ramsar guidelines and can be used to assess the status of wetland in India. The techniques proposed in this book are robust, replicable and strengthen the existing wetland monitoring framework to allow rapid identification of changes in wetlands for timely implementation of conservation and management actions. This document is also a reflection of our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, the Ramsar Convention and India’s National Water Policy, which emphasizes on restoration of the wetlands for water security. This document also aligns with the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s water conservation initiative ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’, which directs participation of stakeholder in water management with scientific inputs from local research and academic institutions.