NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Monday said that wetlands nurture not only ecosystems, but also communities, culture and livelihoods. On the occasion of World Wetlands Day 2026, the Minister, in a post on social media platform 'X', said that water is life and wetlands are the lifelines of the planet.

Yadav said that India has made communities and culture central to its approach to wetland conservation. He noted that under the environmentally conscious leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s Ramsar network has expanded to 98 sites from 26 in 2014.

To mark this year's World Wetlands Day, an event was organised by the Ministry at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary on the theme ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage’. The event focused on the importance of wetlands and the role of traditional knowledge and communities in their conservation.

Addressing the event, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh said that wetlands are not just water resources but also play a crucial role in people’s daily social lives. He said that wetlands are deeply connected with culture, festivals and religious sentiments and were traditionally places where people, including children, would gather and interact.

The Minister expressed happiness over the growing involvement of the younger generation in wetland conservation. He emphasised that the environment cannot be protected only through rules and regulations, and that conservation must become a people’s movement.

Singh, in a post on 'X' earlier, highlighted the ecological and cultural significance of the Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s 98 Ramsar sites of global importance. The Minister said the wetland supports countless native and migratory birds and holds deep personal and cultural value for local communities.

A video teaser on the Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary was also launched during the event. The teaser offers a brief glimpse into the delicate ecological balance of the bird sanctuary in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh and the interconnected web of life it supports.