Nations Endorse India’s Resolution on Sustainable Wetland Use at Ramsar COP15

Countries participating in the Ramsar Convention have officially adopted India’s resolution on ‘Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for the Wise Use of Wetlands’ at Ramsar COP15, held in Zimbabwe on Wednesday, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced.

“Carrying forward the vision of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi and #MissionLiFE, India’s resolution on ‘Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for the Wise Use of Wetlands’ was adopted today at Ramsar COP15 in Zimbabwe,” Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared on X.

He added, “This is India’s first-ever resolution at the Ramsar Convention, and it received overwhelming support from Contracting Parties and International Organization Partners. A total of 172 countries and six international organizations have come together to embrace the principles of Mission LiFE in the global effort to conserve wetlands.”

On July 24, while leading the Indian delegation at COP15, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted India’s significant strides in wetland conservation. He stated that India now has 91 Ramsar Sites covering 1.36 million hectares, forming the largest such network in Asia and the third largest in the world.

“Over the last decade, we have expanded this network by 250 percent,” Yadav noted during his address at the High-Level Ministerial Segment on ‘Strengthening Policy and Legal Frameworks by Mainstreaming Wetlands Conservation.’

He also emphasized India’s growing focus on urban wetlands, adding, “For the first time, two Indian cities—Udaipur and Indore—have been accredited as Wetland Cities, underscoring our commitment to sustainable urban development.”

Ramsar COP15 has convened 172 Contracting Parties, along with international organization partners, scientific institutions, civil society groups, and community representatives, to shape the work programme and budgetary roadmap for the next three years. The summit also addresses a range of ongoing and emerging environmental challenges.

Last year, India’s Ministry of Environment released the “Wetland Wise Use” implementation framework, aiming to operationalize the core principle of the Ramsar Convention. However, the document acknowledged that despite the importance of the “wise use” concept, ambiguity still surrounds its definition and practical application in wetland management.

The framework emphasizes maintaining the ecological character of wetlands, adopting an ecosystem-based approach, and aligning with sustainable development goals. It explains that ecosystem components and processes enable wetlands to deliver vital services—such as providing fish habitats that support local fisheries, or sustaining rich bird populations.

Importantly, the concept of wise use also advocates for decentralised management, encouraging active involvement of local communities and indigenous people. It underscores the need to incorporate their values, knowledge systems, and interests, recognising them as crucial stakeholders in effective and inclusive wetland conservation.

According to the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, wetlands must be conserved and managed based on the principle of "wise use," as determined by the designated Wetlands Authority. The rules strictly prohibit a range of activities in officially notified wetlands, including conversion for non-wetland purposes, encroachment, establishment or expansion of industries, dumping of construction and demolition waste, poaching, and discharge of effluents, among others.

However, the 2017 rules, which replaced the more stringent 2010 version, drew criticism from environmentalists and legal experts. Many viewed the revised rules as a diluted framework that could weaken the protection and management of wetlands across the country.

Unlike the 2010 guidelines, which clearly outlined restricted and regulated activities, the 2017 version introduced broad and ambiguous terms such as “wise use.” This vagueness, critics argued, created uncertainty about permissible actions and opened the door to potential misuse. Moreover, the new rules shifted much of the responsibility for identifying and notifying wetlands to individual states and Union Territories, raising concerns over consistency, oversight, and enforcement.

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