Wetlands

WWD 2026: Govts Wetlands Protection Actions mostly fail to convince

January 31, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: An aerial shot of Madambakkam lake in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu shows buildings on the banks of the waterbody: Source)

On occasion of World’s Wetlands Day 2026, this overview compiles top ten reports from 2025 covering decisions and steps taken by various state governments for the protection of wetlands in India. There could be some more relevant reports which we could not track and compile. The first part and second part of the overview have covered the continual degradation of Ramsar sites and other wetlands across the country.

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Wetlands

WWD 2026: Top Ten Reports on Our continued Failure to Identify, Protect Wetlands

January 30, 2026January 31, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Vegetation layer covering entire surface of Giri taal of Kashipur in US Nagar, Uttarakhand in Oct. 2025)

While the World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2026 on February 02 will be celebrated with “Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage” theme, the top ten reports about wetlands in India in one year since 2025 WWD shows our collective failure in protecting both the traditional knowledge and cultural heritage concerning Indian wetlands. At national level, the progess of identification and notification process of wetlands over 2.25 ha is very slow. Official health cards very few wetlands are in public domain.

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Wetlands

World Wetlands Day 2026: India’s Ramsar Sites Facing Threats

January 29, 2026January 30, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Dead fish floating on Ashtamudi Lake at Kadavur in Kollam in last week of Oct. 2025)

“Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage” is theme for global World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2026 celebrated annually on Feb 2. On the occasion, we share reports about 21 Ramsar wetlands from various Indian states underlining the worsening plight of Ramsar sites in India. This does not necessarily mean that the Ramsar wetlands not listed here are in any better state, it only means that media attention has not brought their stories in public domain with sufficient prominence. The state of Ramsar wetlands in India clearly shows complete lack of any governance in place to ensure that the Ramsar sites get protection from degradation, threats and destruction. Worryingly, even Ramsar Convention seems completely disinterested in doing anything to ensure protection of the wetlands that get Ramsar tag.

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Wetlands

WWD 2025: Failing to Protect Wetlands for Common Future

February 2, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Machhi Talab in Dehradun chocked by solid waste, vegetion in May 2024. BS Rawat/SANDRP)

While we celebrate World’s Wetlands Day 2025 with theme of “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”, the top ten reports from 2024 show that the plight of wetlands in India remains miserable making the future of the waterbodies and dependent people uncertain. While govts continue to be lethargic in identifying and notifying the wetlands in the country, the govts initiated developmental plans, projects are further making them vulnerable to extinction. Amid this the threats from encroachment, siltation, pollution and climate change are only increasing. Also see the first part of the overview highlighting the deteriorating situation of Ramsar wetlands in India.

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Wetlands

World Wetlands Day 2025: Govts Projects, Apathy Damaging Ramsar Wetlands

February 1, 2025February 3, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: A road is being laid allegedly by a private realtor inside the Perumbakkam marshland. Photo Credit: TNIE, June 2023)

‘Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future’ is the theme for World Wetlands Day 2025. Wetlands are ecosystems, in which water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life.

Indian government seems focusing more on increasing Ramsar wetlands number than ensuring the protection and conservation the existing Ramsar sites in country. Over the past one decade the numbers of Ramsar wetlands in India have sharply gone up from 26 in 2014 to 89 as of January 2025. Amid the thrust to increase the number, several existing or even recently declared Ramsar wetlands across the country have been facing multiple threats mainly due to governmental projects and constant negligence from the concerned authorities as can be seen from the reports from 2024 in this annual overview.

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Wetlands

WWD 2023: Some Positive India Wetlands Stories

February 2, 2023February 4, 2023 SANDRP1 Comment

In final part of annual World Wetlands Day overview, SANDRP highlights ten positive actions, efforts made by local communities, citizens groups for protection and conservation of wetlands in India in 2022. In earlier parts of the series, SANDRP has covered the general scenarios of wetlands (Part 1); steps taken by various governments (Part 2); judicial interventions (Part 3) and status of some of the Ramsar wetlands sites in the country (Part 4).

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Wetlands

WWD 2023: Top Ten Judicial Interventions to Improve Wetlands Governance

February 1, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Construction activities in Sukhatal lake area in Nainital, Uttarakhand. Source: Dainik Jagran, Nov. 2022)

In this third part of wetlands overview, SANDRP tracks top ten judicial interventions regarding protection of wetlands in India in 2022. The part one has highlighted general situation of wetlands and part two has covered some governmental actions for wetlands conservation.

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Wetlands

WWD 2023: Top Ten India Wetlands Stories about Govt Actions

February 1, 2023February 2, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Kochi Corporation’s proposal to reclaim wetlands at Brahmapuram shot down. A view of the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant on the banks of the Kadambrayar. | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat/ The Hindu)

In this second part of annual wetlands overview of 2022, SANDRP compiles the top ten actions by various governments in India regarding wetlands in 2022. The compilation also highlights some of the controversial steps planned and taken by the governments with an adverse impacts on wetlands conservation. The first part of wetlands review 2022 has focused on the how wetlands continue to suffer from misgovernance.

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Wetlands

WWD 2023: India’s Wetlands continue to face Rising Threats and Misgovernance

January 31, 2023February 2, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Giri tal of Kashipur, Uttarakhand succumbing to govt’s apathy. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP Nov. 2022.)

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on February 2. The theme for year 2023 is Wetlands Restoration. Marking the occasion, SANDRP has been presenting annual overviews on various governance aspects of wetlands in India including general scenario, governments’ plans, judicial interventions and positive efforts to save these crucial eco-systems. This first part of the 2023 series covers the overall situation of wetlands in the country in 2022. The reports show that the wetlands continue to face rising threats and misgovernance.

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Wetlands

Wetlands 2020: Positive Developments

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021 SANDRPLeave a comment

Pondicherry Collector led the revival of over 300 waterbodies The then District Collector and present Secretary to the Chief Minister, A. Vikranth Raja, stepped in with the idea of digging into revenue records to locate the region’s traditional water bodies. It all started with a query raised at the meeting. When someone asked if Karaikal had the capacity to store 7 tmcft of river water allotted by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, “the response from officials was an emphatic no,” says Selvaganesh, Assistant, District Collectorate of Karaikal.

In June 2019, in the tiny coastal enclave of Karaikal, administration officers brainstormed about putting in place a sustainable water resource management model for the town’s two lakh people. They found 549 ponds within a small territory spread over 157 sq. km. 40% of these water bodies were in various stages of extinction. Most of them turned out to be dumping yards.

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