Context:

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in collaboration with Department of Forests, Assam government is organising the national-level celebration of World Wetlands Day (WWD), 2018 at Deepor Beel, a Ramsar Site in Guwahati, today.
• The 2018 theme ‘Wetlands for a sustainable urban future’ marks the role of healthy wetlands play in making cities and towns liveable, through their role in groundwater recharge, buffering floods, filtering wastewater, enhancing landscape aesthetics, providing income generation opportunities and ultimately supporting well-being.

Background:

• Every year, February 2 is celebrated as World Wetlands Day, to mark the date of adoption of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
• The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
• The Convention was adopted in 1971 at the Iranian City of Ramsar.
• India is a party to the Convention since 1982, and committed to the Ramsar approach of wise use of wetlands. 
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as the nodal Ministry for wetlands conservation has been supporting the State Governments/ Union Territories since 1985, in design and implementation of  Management Action Plans for conservation and management of wetlands including Ramsar sites.
• Financial and technical assistance has been provided to State Governments for implementation of Management Action Plans for over 140 wetlands.
• According to National Disaster Management Authority, over 40 hectares which means 12% of land in India is prone to floods and river erosion. Wetlands in India account for 4.7% of the total geographical area.

Source:PIB