Awareness generation campaign to protect wetlands

The Union Environment Ministry will start a radio outreach and awareness generation campaign to sensitise the people about conservation of wetlands to mark the 'World Wetlands Day-2017', an official statement said on Thursday.

World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2 each year to mark the day the convention on wetlands was adopted in the Iranian City of Ramsar in 1971. India is a party to the convention since 1982.

The theme of World Wetlands Day-2017 is 'Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction'. This theme has been selected to raise awareness about the vital role of healthy wetlands in reducing the impact of extreme events on communities and in helping to build resilience, the statement said.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Chennai, which falls under the Environment Ministry, in partnership with a radio station will initiate a month long awareness campaign about wetlands conservation in five cities including Chennai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Thiruvanathapuram.

"NBA will run information snippets on wetlands, their role in disaster management, and ways and means to protect them," the statement said.

World Wetland Day is also being celebrated in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh Government at Bhoj Wetlands, Bhopal, which is one of the 26 Ramsar sites that India has designated under the Ramsar Convention.

The ministry also asked all the state governments to celebrate the World Wetland Day in their respective states.

Union Environment Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha inaugurated a poster exhibition at the ministry to observe World Wetlands Day-2017.

--IANS

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