Context

• The Central Government has first included the names of Udaipur of Rajasthan, Bhopal of Madhya Pradesh and Indore city for Wetland City Accreditation.

Key Points

• The Union Forest and Environment Ministry has sent a proposal to declare these three cities as wetlands to the Ramsar Organization of Switzerland.
• This proposal to tag these cities as wetland cities can be approved.
• In fact, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's ongoing Amrit Dharohar initiative, announced as part of this year's Budget, aims to achieve similar goals by promoting the unique conservation values of Ramsar sites.
• In this context, the WCA will not only generate public awareness about conservation of urban and semi-urban wetlands but will also assist in the implementation of Amrit Dharohar across the country.

Benefits

• Wetland City certification will promote environmental protection.
• Conservation of water sources will also be encouraged and eco-tourism will increase. 
• Other activities in lakes and reservoirs will stop.
• Udaipur city will have a distinct identity on the world stage.
• Sensitivity towards biodiversity and environment will be shown and priority will be given in international projects related to urban development and environment. 
• The commitment of local bodies to keep the reservoirs pollution free will be fixed. 

Wetland City Certification (WCA)

• Wetland City Certification or Accreditation At COP12 held in 2015, the Ramsar Convention approved a voluntary Wetland City Accreditation System under Resolution 11.10, which grants certification to cities that have taken exceptional steps to protect their urban wetlands.
• The Wetland City Certification Scheme aims to promote the conservation and smart use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, with sustainable socio-economic benefits for the local population.
• This voluntary scheme provides an opportunity for cities that value their natural or man-made wetlands. 

Three named cities

Indore

• Indore city was founded by Holkar and is the cleanest city in India and the winner of India's Smart City Award 2023 for its best sanitation, water and urban environment.
• Sirpur Lake, a Ramsar site in the city, has been recognized as an important site for water bird congregation and is being developed as a bird sanctuary.
• A strong network of over 200 Wetland Friends is working to sensitise the local community towards bird conservation and protecting the sarus crane.

Bhopal

• One of the cleanest cities in India, it has proposed conservation areas around wetlands in the draft of its Urban Development Plan 2031.
• Bhoj Wetland, a Ramsar site is the lifeline of the city, equipped with a world-class wetland interpretation centre, Jal Tarang.
• Additionally, Bhopal Municipal Corporation has a dedicated lake conservation cell.
• A network of more than 300 Wetland Mitras is engaged in wetland management and conservation of cranes.

Udaipur

• Located in Rajasthan, the city is surrounded by five major wetlands, namely Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar and Doodh Talai.
• These wetlands are an integral part of the city's culture and identity, help maintain the city's micro-climate, and provide protection from extreme events. 

Ramsar Convention

• The Ramsar site is a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as the 'Convention on Wetlands', an intergovernmental environmental treaty established by UNESCO in 1971.
• It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed that year.
• The Sundarbans in West Bengal is India's largest Ramsar site. 

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR EXAM 

11 wetland sites of India designated as Ramsar sites -

• Tampara lake odisha
• Hirakud Reservoir
• Ansupa Lake
• Yashwant Sagar
• Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary
• Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex
• Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary
• Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary
• Thane Creek
• Higham Wetland Conservation Reserve
• Shaalbug Wetland Conservation Reserve