Context:
Indore and Udaipur become the first two Indian cities to join the list of Wetland Accredited Cities in world.
Wetland City Accreditation (WCA):
- A voluntary accreditation system to recognize the importance of wetlands in urban and peri-urban (zones of transition from rural to urban) environments.
- Established at – COP12 of Ramsar Convention (2015).
- Objective – Promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.
- Validity – 6 years.
- Importance – Helps in implementation of Amrit Dharohar initiative (conservation of Ramsar sites) across the country.
6 criteria for getting Wetland City Accreditation (WCA):
- Contains Ramsar Sites, or other significant wetlands which provide(s) a range of ecosystem services to the city
- Has adopted measures for conservation of wetlands.
- Implemented wetland restoration measures.
- Considers the challenges and opportunities of integrated spatial/land-use planning for wetlands under its jurisdiction.
- Raised public awareness about the values of wetlands and enabled public participation in decision-making processes.
- Established a local committee to support the preparation work and the implementation of measures.
Indore and Udaipur:
- Indore – Sirpur Lake (Ramsar Site) recognised for water bird congregation and is being developed as a bird sanctuary.
- Udaipur – Surrounded by 5 major wetlands, namely, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and Doodh Talai.
Ramsar Convention:
- An intergovernmental treaty under UNESCO that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
- Adopted in – Ramsar (Iran) in 1971.
- Ramsar sites in India – 85
Source: TOI
Previous Year Question
Consider the following pairs:
Wetlands: Confluence of rivers
1. Harike Wetlands: Confluence of Beas and Satluj/Sutlej
2. Keoladeo Ghana National Park: Confluence of Banas and Chambal
3. Kolleru Lake: Confluence of Musi and Krishna
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2014 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Keoladeo Ghana National Park is situated at the confluence of the Gambhir and Banganga rivers.
Kolleru Lake lies between the Godavari and Krishna river deltas. Hence, pairs 2 and 3 are not correctly matched.
