India leads Asia with 98 Ramsar sites of international importance
India leads Asia with 98 Ramsar sites of international importance Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav marks Word Wetlands Day
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Monday said wetlands are vital not only for ecosystems but also for communities and livelihoods. Marking World Wetlands Day 2026, Yadav said, “water is life and wetlands are the lifelines of the planet.”
World Wetlands Day is observed annually on February 2 to commemorate the adoption of the Ramsar Convention in 1971. India became a signatory in 1982 and now leads Asia with 98 Ramsar sites of international importance.
An event to mark the day was organised at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary on the theme ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage’. Yadav said
Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that wetlands are closely linked to people’s social lives, culture and traditions.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said wetlands are central to environmental security and cultural heritage. “The conservation of water bodies is not only our environmental responsibility but is also intrinsically linked to the protection of our traditions and the security of future generations,” he said.
Highlighting Delhi’s efforts, Sirsa said the city once had more than 1,000 water bodies, many of which were lost to encroachment and neglect. He said the Delhi Government has set a target to restore the maximum possible number of water bodies by 2027 and is working with the Centre to notify the historic Neeli Jheel in Asola Bhatti as a Ramsar site.
The minister also said that wetlands play a key role in controlling air and water pollution. He stated that 45 acres of landfill land have already been reclaimed through bio-mining. He expressed confidence that Delhi would be freed from mountains of garbage by 2027.
The event also witnessed the launch of a video teaser on the Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, the release of the document Cultural Wonders of Ramsar Sites, felicitation of States for newly designated Ramsar sites, and a plantation drive under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative.
