The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) organized a National Workshop for Developing a Roadmap for Participatory Conservation and Wise-Use of Wetlands. Titled ‘Sahbhagita’, the workshop was held on May 21, 2022, at the National Center for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The workshop was held under the aegis of the GEF-UNEPMoEFCC-funded Integrated Management of Wetlands Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services project and attended by 117 participants. These included wetlands managers from 40 wetlands of international and national importance, 18 representatives from State and UT Wetland Authorities, 14 corporates, 14 wetland champions, 5 NGOs, six knowledge partners, three experts from the National Wetlands Committee, 10 officials from WISA and GIZ and four officials from the wetlands division of the Ministry. The agenda of the workshop is in Annex 1, and the List of Participants at Annex 2.

The workshop was held in two sessions. The morning session chaired by Mrs Manju Pandey (Joint Secretary, MoEFCC) included discussions on key elements of the participatory national wetlands conservation and wise use policy. The second session, chaired by Hon’ble Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Bhupender Yadav, included felicitation of the wetland champions, presentation of the round table results, and dialogue with the wetlands managers and decision-makers.