Sahbhagita Mission

6.Sahbhagita Mission: Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Forest, Environment, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has recently inaugurated the Regional Workshop on Wetland Conservation under Mission Sahbhagita for North Indian States.

  • About the mission: MoEF&CC launched Mission Sahbhagita in 2022 with a mission of 'a healthy and effectively managed network of wetlands of national and international importance.
  • India's Wetland Conservation Efforts: Currently, 89 Ramsar Sites (4 new ones added recently).
  • Uttar Pradesh has 1,33,434 wetlands (5.16% of its area) and 10 Ramsar Sites (2nd highest after Tamil Nadu).
  • 13 wetlands in UP: Conserved under the National Aquatic Ecosystem Conservation Plan.
  • About World Wetlands Day 2025 (2nd February):

o Theme: "Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future."

o Significant due to COP15 (15th Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands).

o COP15 scheduled for 23-31 July 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, under the same theme.

o The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention), adopted in 1971.

o UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 75/317 on 30 August 2021, establishing World Wetlands Day as a UN International Day.

o World Wetlands Day 2025 Celebrations in India: At Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary, Gonda, UP, is among the largest floodplain wetlands, sheltering over a lakh birds.