World Wetlands Day 2026 Celebrated at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

To mark this year’s World Wetlands Day on 2nd February, an event was organised by India’s Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary on the theme ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage’.

Asola-Bhati Wildlife Sanctuary, on the Aravalli hill range on the Delhi-Haryana border, with dozens of lakes formed in abandoned open-pit mines, served as the location for the event.

The event focused on the importance of wetlands and the role of traditional knowledge and communities in their conservation.

Addressing the gathering, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Kirti Vardhan Singh, said that wetlands are not just water resources but also play a crucial role in people’s daily social lives.

He said that wetlands are deeply connected to culture, festivals, and religious sentiments, and were traditionally places where people, including children, gathered and interacted.

The Minister expressed happiness over the growing involvement of the younger generation in wetland conservation. He emphasised that the environment cannot be protected only through rules and regulations, and that conservation must become a people’s movement.

A video teaser on the Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary was also launched during the event. The teaser offers a brief glimpse into the delicate ecological balance of the bird sanctuary in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh and the interconnected web of life it supports.

Delhi Environment Minister Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa said wetlands play a crucial role in daily life, but rapid urbanisation, encroachments and anthropogenic activities have taken a heavy toll on them. He said that the Delhi government has set a target to restore its water bodies within the next two years.

Secretary (EFCC) Mr Tanmay Kumar said environmental protection is not possible without community support. He said that under the Environment Minister’s leadership, Wetland Mitras play an important role in conserving wetlands, with a direct impact on the surrounding environment, culture, and people’s livelihoods.

Referring to the increase in the number of Ramsar sites since 2014, Mr Kumar said this reflects growing public awareness about the importance of wetlands and the role of communities in their conservation.

The event kicked off with dignitaries inaugurating an exhibition featuring institutions and organisations working on wetlands, biodiversity and environmental conservation. The programme also included the felicitation of States for newly designated Ramsar Sites.

During the event, the Ministry also released the document “Cultural Wonders of Ramsar Sites,” which highlights the lesser-known cultural significance of Ramsar Sites and their role in preserving intangible cultural heritage associated with wetlands.

Swachhata Pakhwada 2025 Awards were presented to the National Museum of Natural History, New Delhi; Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata; and Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, in recognition of their exemplary performance during Swachhata Pakhwada 2025.

The Ministers interacted with Wetland Mitras and schoolchildren to raise awareness and encourage public participation in wetland conservation. The event concluded with a plantation drive under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative, reinforcing the message of environmental responsibility.

Earlier in the day, India’s Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Bhupender Yadav, shared a social media post, noting that “water is life and wetlands are the lifelines of the planet. They nurture not only ecosystems, but also communities, culture and livelihoods.”

Mr Yadav said that India has made communities and culture central to its wetland conservation approach. He noted that India’s Ramsar network has expanded to 98 sites from 26 in 2014.

World Wetlands Day marks the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands, or Ramsar Convention, on 2nd February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.

India became a signatory to the convention on 1st February 1982. The country now leads Asia in the number of Ramsar sites, with 98 wetlands designated as of international importance.