Indore and Udaipur Become India's First Cities to Receive Wetland City Accreditation under Ramsar Convention.

International

In January 2025, during the 64th meeting of the independent Advisory Committee on Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) of the Ramsar Convention held in Gland, Switzerland, the list of 31 newly accredited Wetland Cities was announced. Among these, Indore (Madhya Pradesh, MP) and Udaipur (Rajasthan) became the first two Indian cities to receive the prestigious international accreditation as 'Wetland Cities' under the Ramsar Convention.


      - With this, the total number of accredited Wetland Cities worldwide has now reached 74.

      - The accreditation was granted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under the Ramsar Convention.

      - The accreditation is valid for 6 years and aims to promote the conservation and sustainable use of urban wetlands, ensuring ecological and socio-economic benefits for local populations.

Main Point :-   (i) In December 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India (GoI), nominated three Indian cities: Indore, Udaipur, and Bhopal (MP), for Wetland City Accreditation.

      (ii) The Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) is a voluntary system established by the Ramsar Convention in 2015 to recognize cities that have taken significant actions to protect and sustainably manage their urban wetlands. To earn this accreditation, cities must meet six international criteria, including measures to protect wetland ecosystems and promote their sustainable use.

(iii) China leads the global list with 22 accredited cities, followed by France with 9 cities.

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