Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for the Wise Use of Wetlands

At the Ramsar 15th Conference of the Parties being held at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, India introduced a Resolution on ‘Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for the Wise Use of Wetlands’.

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Bhupender Yadav, informed about the resolution adopted at the Conference, in his post on social media today.

The resolution received overwhelming support from the 172 Ramsar Contracting Parties, Six International Organisation Partners, and other observers and was formally adopted at the plenary session on July 30, 2025.

By adopting this resolution, the Parties have endorsed the important role individual and societal choices play in wetlands conservation, and work towards a pro-planet lifestyle, within their national circumstances and contexts. This resolution is also an important step towards a ‘whole of society’ approach needed for addressing wetlands conservation in the contemporary world.

The resolution brought to CoP15 by India on ‘Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for the Wise Use of Wetlands’ also aligns with Resolution XIV.8 – New CEPA Approach and 10 years’ framework of programmes on ‘Sustainable production and consumption’ and urges voluntary action for considering the integration of sustainable lifestyles-based interventions in wetland management plans, programmes and investments at all levels.

The resolution also calls for creating enabling conditions, including fostering public and private collaboration, pursuing education at all levels and awareness-raising initiatives to enhance the wise use of wetlands.

During his address at the high-level segment on July 24, 2025, Mr Bhupender Yadav highlighted the importance of sustainable lifestyles in creating a pro-planet behaviour, and also invited countries to support the adoption of the above resolution.

Sustainable lifestyles are ‘Ways of living, social behaviours and choices’ that:

a) Minimise environmental degradation (by conserving resources and reducing waste generation);

b) Support equitable socio-economic development (by being conscious of impacts of lifestyle choices across all strata of society and generations, and embracing environmentally conscious consumption); and

c) Better quality of life (enabled by physical and mental health, access to basic material for a good life, including security, and good social relationships).

India has proactively championed ‘Sustainable Lifestyles’, introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UNFCCC CoP 26 in Glasgow. Mission LiFE is a ‘Global mass movement to encourage individual and community action to protect and preserve the environment’. The mission helps translate national aspirations into whole-of-society efforts.

The Resolution builds upon Resolution 6/8 on ‘Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles’ adopted at the Sixth UN Environment Assembly in March 2024.

Recognising the potential of behavioural changes towards sustainable lifestyles to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, the resolution calls upon member States and stakeholders to create the necessary evidence-based enabling conditions, foster public and private collaboration, pursue education at all levels, and promote awareness-raising initiatives in support of empowering citizens to make informed choices about sustainable lifestyles.

India has proactively embedded Mission LiFE in the national efforts for wetland conservation. The ‘Mission Sahbhagita’ and ‘Save Wetlands’ Campaign have witnessed over 2 million citizens as volunteers, enabling the mapping of more than 170,000 wetlands and clear boundary demarcation of nearly 120,000 wetlands in the last 3 years.