India and Germany signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on the Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands of International Importance on 1 September 2026 in New Delhi. The signing took place during the 4th Indo-German Environment Forum (IGEF), which was held under the theme Together for More Resilience. The pact creates a joint platform for science, restoration and community action to protect wetlands in India at a time when the country holds 101 Ramsar sites, the largest network in Asia.
What Did India and Germany Agree On?
A Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) is a formal statement in which two sides record their shared plan to work together. It is not a binding treaty, but it sets the goals, areas of work and spirit of cooperation for future projects.
The wetlands JDI was signed by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and German Minister for Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Carsten Schneider. The two ministers also held a separate bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the forum and restated their commitment to environmental sustainability and climate action. The meeting took place in a special year, as India and Germany are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2026.
The declaration focuses on wetlands of international importance, which means wetlands listed under the global Ramsar Convention. It will provide a platform for four kinds of joint work. The first is building stronger scientific understanding of how wetlands function. The second is sharing good practices in wetland management between the two countries. The third is developing practical approaches for restoration of degraded wetlands. The fourth is increasing community participation, so that people living near wetlands become active partners in protection.
The German side welcomed the wider cooperation on climate adaptation and wetland protection and said both countries would develop joint projects and share knowledge and experience.
What Is the Indo-German Environment Forum?
The Indo-German Environment Forum (IGEF) is the highest level bilateral platform between India and Germany on environmental policy. It was established in 2008 to support regular dialogue, policy exchange and partnership on environment and climate issues.
The forum is jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of India and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). Industry bodies also take part. The 4th edition was organised in association with the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Policymakers, business leaders, think tanks, experts and civil society groups attend its sessions.
Ahead of the ministerial meeting, three Joint Working Groups meet to review progress and fix priorities. These groups cover Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Circular Economy. Their reports feed into the main forum discussion.
The 4th IGEF was co-chaired by Bhupender Yadav and Carsten Schneider in New Delhi on 1 September 2026. Its theme, Together for More Resilience, points to a central idea. Climate resilience means the ability of people, ecosystems and economies to face climate shocks such as floods, droughts and heatwaves, recover from them and adapt for the future. The forum linked this idea to resource efficiency, low carbon growth and nature protection.
The sessions at the 2026 forum covered four themes. These were low carbon industries, biodiversity in wetlands, mountains and forests, resource efficiency and circular economy as a business model, and sustainable finance with green skills and investment mobilisation. The forum also included an Indo-German Business Forum, where the Indian side invited collaboration in renewable energy, energy storage, green hydrogen, energy efficiency and sustainable manufacturing.
This forum should not be confused with another body that uses the same short form IGEF. The Indo-German Energy Forum, set up in 2006, deals mainly with power sector and energy cooperation. The Environment Forum deals with the wider environmental agenda. Both now work under the larger umbrella of the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP), which India and Germany signed in May 2022 to align their cooperation with the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
What Are Wetlands and Why Are They Called Nature’s Kidneys?
A wetland is land where water covers the soil for much of the year, or where the water table stays at or near the surface. It is a transition zone between dry land and deep water. Lakes, marshes, swamps, peatlands, estuaries, mangroves, floodplains and even human made areas such as rice fields, reservoirs and salt pans can count as wetlands.
Wetlands are often called the kidneys of the Earth or nature’s kidneys. Just as kidneys filter waste from blood, wetlands filter pollutants from water. Their plants, soils and microbes trap sediments, absorb nutrients and break down harmful substances. This natural filtering improves water quality for people, farms and wildlife.
Their value goes far beyond filtering. Wetlands store excess rainwater and slow down floods. They release stored water slowly, which helps recharge groundwater and maintain river flows in dry months. They store large amounts of carbon in soils and plants, which helps slow climate change. They provide breeding and feeding grounds for fish, migratory birds and many rare species. They also support jobs in fishing, farming, tourism and reed harvesting.
Because of these services, wetland loss has high costs. When wetlands are drained, filled or polluted, cities face more flooding, wells run dry faster, fish catch falls and birds lose stopover sites on long migration routes. Restoration, which means bringing a damaged wetland back to healthy function, is therefore a core goal of the new India Germany pact.
What Is the Ramsar Convention and What Does Wise Use Mean?
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, popularly known as the Ramsar Convention, is the global treaty for wetland protection. It was adopted on 2 February 1971 in the city of Ramsar in Iran and came into force on 21 December 1975. It is the oldest modern global conservation treaty that focuses on a single ecosystem. India joined it in 1982.
The treaty rests on three pillars. The first is listing of Wetlands of International Importance, also called Ramsar sites. The second is promotion of wise use of all wetlands, not only listed sites. The third is international cooperation on shared wetlands, shared river basins and migratory species.
Wise use is the central idea of the treaty. The convention defines it as maintaining the ecological character of wetlands through ecosystem based action within the limits of sustainable development. In simple words, people can use wetland resources for fishing, farming and tourism, but the use must not damage the health, species mix and natural processes of the wetland. Conservation and sustainable use go together for the benefit of both people and nature.
The working of the treaty is supported by a secretariat based in Gland, Switzerland, in the headquarters of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The depositary, which keeps the official treaty records, is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Every year on 2 February, the world marks World Wetlands Day to recall the adoption of the treaty.
Two related terms often appear with Ramsar. The Montreux Record is a list of Ramsar sites where the ecological character has changed or is under threat due to human pressure or pollution. Putting a site on this record is a signal for urgent action, not removal from the Ramsar List. The Wetland Wise Use Award recognises strong examples of sustainable wetland management.
How Many Ramsar Sites Does India Have?
As of August 2026, India has 101 Ramsar sites spread across 28 states and Union Territories, covering about 13.87 lakh hectares. This is the largest Ramsar network in Asia and among the largest in the world. The global Ramsar List has more than 2,500 sites across 172 contracting parties.
India’s first two Ramsar sites, Chilika Lake in Odisha and Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, were listed in 1981. Growth was slow for many years and then rose sharply after 2020. India had only 26 sites in 2014, reached 75 sites in 2022, touched 98 sites in January 2026 with the addition of Patna Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh and Chhari Dhand in Gujarat, and reached 99 with Sheikha Jheel in Uttar Pradesh in April 2026. The 100th site was the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, and the 101st site was Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh, announced on 3 August 2026, which is also the first Ramsar site of that state.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Ramsar sites in India | 101 as of August 2026 |
| States and Union Territories covered | 28 |
| Largest Ramsar site | Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal, about 4,230 sq km |
| Smallest Ramsar sites | Renuka Lake in Himachal Pradesh and Vembannur Wetland Complex in Tamil Nadu, about 0.2 sq km each |
| State with most Ramsar sites | Tamil Nadu, with 20 sites |
| Other states with high counts | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Rajasthan |
Tamil Nadu leads because of its chain of coastal lagoons, bird sanctuaries and tanks that support large heronries and migratory waterbirds such as the spot billed pelican and painted stork. Uttar Pradesh follows due to its Gangetic floodplain lakes that support the sarus crane and the vulnerable Indian river tern. The Wetlands of India Portal, maintained under the Ministry’s programme, gives maps, inventories and site details for public use. It helps planners track the health of these sites and plan wise use actions.
Which Laws Protect Wetlands in India?
The main legal tool is the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017. These rules were issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. They replaced the earlier 2010 rules and shifted day to day work from the Centre to the states.
The 2017 rules apply to Ramsar sites and to wetlands notified by the central government, state governments or Union Territory administrations. They do not apply to areas already covered by forest laws, wildlife laws or coastal zone rules, where those special laws continue to apply.
Each state and Union Territory must set up a State Wetlands Authority, headed by the state environment minister, with experts in hydrology, ecology, fisheries, landscape planning and socio economics. A National Wetlands Committee, headed by the Secretary of the Ministry, advises the Centre, reviews Ramsar site management and recommends new sites for international listing. States must prepare lists of wetlands, prepare brief documents for each site, define the wetland boundary and its zone of influence, and draft an Integrated Management Plan for conservation and wise use.
The rules ban harmful actions inside notified wetlands. These include encroachment, setting up or expanding industries, dumping of solid waste, and discharge of untreated sewage and effluents. Other activities, such as fishing, boating or construction near the edge, can be regulated with permission. Violations attract penalties under the Environment (Protection) Act. States must also build a digital inventory of wetlands and update it every 10 years.
Earlier national efforts support this framework. The National Wetland Conservation Programme, started in the 1980s, provided funds for management planning, monitoring and research at identified wetlands. The National Wetlands Inventory and Assessment, prepared with space based mapping, estimates India’s total wetland area at about 15.26 million hectares, with rivers and streams forming the largest share. Scientific support comes from bodies such as Wetlands International South Asia, headquartered work in New Delhi, which assists with inventories, health checks and training.
Why Does This Partnership Matter for Climate Resilience?
Wetlands sit at the centre of climate adaptation, which means adjusting lives, farms and cities to face changing weather. Healthy wetlands reduce flood peaks, store water for dry spells, protect coasts from storm surges and keep local temperatures lower. Peatlands and mangroves lock away carbon for long periods, so their loss releases greenhouse gases while their protection keeps carbon stored.
For India, the stakes are direct. Many Ramsar sites lie in flood prone river plains, arid zones such as Kutch, and high altitude Himalayan areas. Sites such as East Kolkata Wetlands, which treat city sewage naturally, Asan Conservation Reserve in Uttarakhand, Dhanauri wetlands in Uttar Pradesh and Changaram wetlands in Kerala show how different regions depend on wetlands for water security, bird migration and local jobs. German technical skills in monitoring, restoration design and circular water use can help improve management plans for such varied sites.
The forum also tied wetlands to the wider green economy. The Indian side noted that the country is meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets under the Paris Agreement ahead of schedule, and pointed to rapid growth in solar and wind power. The German side called India a role model in renewable expansion. Both sides noted that India’s circular economy could reach a market value of more than $2 trillion and create close to 10 million jobs by 2050. The Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition, launched during India’s G20 Presidency in 2023, was cited as a step to bring reuse and recycling into business models.
The next phase of work will test this link between nature and industry. Both ministers flagged the hard task of cutting emissions from steel, cement and chemicals, which need new fuels, cleaner processes and better use of materials. Stronger knowledge systems, scalable local solutions and stronger institutions were listed as the three priorities for the forum. The wetlands JDI fits this plan, because community based wetland care can show how protection, jobs and climate safety can advance together.
Key Takeaways
- India and Germany signed the Joint Declaration of Intent on Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands of International Importance on 1 September 2026 in New Delhi.
- The signing took place at the 4th Indo-German Environment Forum, held under the theme Together for More Resilience and co-chaired by Bhupender Yadav and Carsten Schneider.
- The Indo-German Environment Forum was established in 2008 and is the highest level bilateral platform on environmental policy.
- The Ramsar Convention was adopted in Ramsar, Iran in 1971, came into force in 1975, and defines wise use as maintaining ecological character through sustainable development.
- India has 101 Ramsar sites as of August 2026, with Tamil Nadu leading with 20 sites and Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh as the newest site.
- Wetlands in India are protected under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
