Udaipur set to become country’s first wetland city!

The Rajasthan government is making all efforts to make Udaipur, the City of Lakes, the country's first wetland city. And if all goes as planned, it will soon become one.

As per the reports, the Environment and the Forest Department has chosen the city as per the Ramsar Convention of International Importance. Surrounded by five major lakes, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and Doodh Talai, Udaipur is already included in the restoration project of the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) of the central government.
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It has to be noted that the wetlands and lakes of the city are majorly managed by the tourism and the local self-government departments. If reports are to go by, the state Environment and Forest Department is sending the nomination to the Ramsar Convention to declare it of international standard.

Referring to this, Monali Sen, Joint Secretary of Environment and Climate Change Ministry, added that the department will be organising a one-day workshop for district officials and representatives of local bodies to finalise the draft. The inter-departmental meeting will consider suggestions from all stakeholders, the official added.

If we go by the Ramsar Convention, a wetland has to be considered internationally important if it contains a rare, representative, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region and supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.

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According to state authorities, Udaipur, with an area of 37 sq km, fulfils all the necessary requirements to earn the designation of a wetland city.

This title is a rare distinction, with only a few cities worldwide having received this recognition. Aside from Udaipur, Bhopal is also vying for this prestigious status.
The Ramsar Convention, formally known as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, is a global treaty aimed at the preservation and sustainable use of Ramsar-designated sites. It is often referred to as the Convention on Wetlands and takes its name from the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the agreement was signed in 1971.
In 2022, during the Convention's proceedings, 25 cities were acknowledged as wetland cities, including Sackville in Canada, Cape Town in South Africa, Ifrane in Morocco, and others from various countries. Presently, there are 42 wetland cities situated across 17 nations around the world, with China boasting the highest number at 13 such cities.