New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday said wetlands nurture not only ecosystems, but also communities, culture and livelihoods.
To mark the World Wetlands Day 2026, the minister said in a post on social media that water is life, and wetlands are the lifelines of the planet.
Yadav said India has made communities and culture central to its approach to wetland conservation. He noted that under the environmentally conscious leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s Ramsar network has expanded to 98 sites from 26 in 2014.
To mark this year’s World Wetlands Day, an event was organised by the ministry at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary on the theme ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage’.
The event focused on the importance of wetlands and the role of traditional knowledge and communities in their conservation.
Addressing the event, Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said wetlands are not just water resources but also play a crucial role in people’s daily social lives.
They are deeply connected with culture, festivals and religious sentiments and were traditionally places where people, including children, would gather and interact, he said.
The minister expressed happiness over the growing involvement of the younger generation in their conservation.
He emphasised that the environment cannot be protected only through rules and regulations, and that conservation must become a people’s movement. PTI GJS NAB PRK
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