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Source- This post is based on the article “Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change submits proposals for Wetland City Accreditation under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands for cities of Indore, Bhopal and Udaipur” published in “PIB” on 4th January 2024.
Why in the News?
MoEF&CC has nominated Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Udaipur (Rajasthan) for Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
What is Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) Scheme?
| Specifications | Details |
| What is it? | It is a voluntary system under the Ramsar Convention to acknowledge cities that have taken exceptional measures to conserve and protect urban and peri-urban wetlands. It was introduced in 2015. |
| Aim | To enhance the conservation and sustainable utilization of urban and peri-urban wetlands, providing socio-economic benefits for local communities. |
| Accreditation criteria | The Operational Guidance for WCA of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands encompasses six international criteria that a city must meet to qualify. |
| Significance for India | 1) The WCA allows cities to gain international recognition for their efforts in protecting their wetlands. 2) It will also raise public awareness about urban wetland conservation. 3) Further, it will aid in nationwide implementation of Amrit Dharohar initiative by MoEF&CC. |
Important wetlands of these three nominated cities:
| Indore | Bhopal | Udaipur |
| The city has 2 Ramsar sites- Sirpur Lake and Yashwant Sagar. | Bhoj Wetland, a Ramsar Site | The city is surrounded by five major wetlands, namely, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and Doodh Talai |
UPSC Syllabus- Environment
