GANGTOK,: A two-day regional workshop on
“Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands” under Sahabhagita Mission for North Eastern
States commenced today at Ranka.
Organised
by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in
collaboration with State Wetland Authority under Forest and Environment department,
the workshop brought together representatives from the Northeastern States of Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
In
his address, Dr. Pradeep Kumar, PCCF and secretary of State Forest and
Environment department, emphasized the importance of wetlands in Sikkim’s
ecosystem and economy, stating that popular tourist sites like Tsomgo Lake are
vital wetland areas. He also read a message from Chief Minister P.S. Golay
wherein the Chief Minister urged citizens to take responsibility for protecting
wetland ecosystems.
The
event had keynote addresses from officials of the MoEF&CC including scientist
Dr. Ramesh M., who outlined the objectives of the workshop and discussed the
National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA), Ramsar Convention
and the legal framework for wetland management under the Wetlands (Conservation
and Management) Rules, 2017. Dr. Ramesh informed attendees of the ongoing
revision of these rules and the recent issuance of revised NPCA guidelines for
2024, which introduce an interim Framework Management Plan (FMP) for swift
action in wetland conservation.
Highlighting
India’s progress under Mission Sahbhagita, launched in 2022, Dr. Ramesh shared
that over two million people have been sensitized about wetland conservation
with over 8 lakh volunteers registered as “Wetland Mitras.” He said the upcoming
goals include designating 15 additional Ramsar sites by 2025, implementing
"Amrit Dharohar" initiative at Ramsar sites and enhancing
private-sector involvement in wetland management.
The
workshop had presentations from States and Union Territories during plenary-1
wherein the proposed amendments to the Wetlands (Conservation and Management)
Rules were discussed. The plenary-2 on formulation of FMP and IMP for wetlands
as per the revised NPCA guidelines was chaired by Dr. Ramesh M. and moderated
by Suchita Awasthi, national coordinator for Wetland International South Asia.
The
workshop also included capacity-building activities, with GIZ and SEEDS leading
discussions on developing education and awareness strategies. Local Wetland
Mitra Sangay Lama Sherpa gave a presentation on opportunities in eco-tourism
for livelihood enhancement, drawing from community experiences.
