World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd every year to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands for our planet. Established in 1971 by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, also known as the Ramsar Convention, World Wetlands Day celebrated its 52nd year in 2023.

Each year, World Wetlands Day adopts a new theme to educate people about the crucial role that wetlands play in maintaining the health of our environment, providing habitat for wildlife, and supporting human communities. The theme for 2023 was "It's time for wetlands restoration" - WWF-India took the opportunity to celebrate the positive work being done across India and acknowledge Wetland Mitras for their crucial support in all stages of wetland restoration work.

 

Rajasthan
Keoladeo National Park
A total of 354 participants joined the 3-day event, held in collaboration with the Rajasthan Forest Department.



Uttar Pradesh
Upper Ganga Ramsar Site, Narora
The event at Narora was organised in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and Namami Gange. It highlighted the importance of the work done by the Ganga Mitras and the Praharis in the protection and restoration of wetlands, and was attended by 55 participants.



Haiderpur Wetland, Muzzafarnagar
The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department collaborated in organizing a dynamic, 1-day event filled with interactive engagements about the wetland and its importance. 71 participants attended the event.



Moradabad
The Nagar Nigam of Moradabad enabled an event with educational and conservation-focused activities for over 380 participants. It aimed at raising awareness about the important role that wetlands play in our ecosystem.

Aril Basin, Bareilly 
The District Administration of Bareilly collaborated in setting up events focused on key aspects of wetlands conservation and capacity building. Over 150 participants attended events at the Khangwa Shyam and the Bahoda Khera wetlands.



Kasganj
The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department enabled a 3-day event aimed at both school education and capacity building where interactive activities and workshops were conducted for over 260 students and farmers.



Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, Hastinapur
The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department collaborated on an event at the Ganga Interpretation Centre, for the benefit of school children. 60 participants attended the 1-day event.



Seohara, Bijnor
The Irrigation Department collaborated in setting up an interactive talk for the benefit of 35 Community Mitras, in attendance.

Kanpur
The Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur and the Rajkiya Sanskar Ashram School helped set up campus events that focused on WWF-India’s Water Footprints efforts. Over 170 participants attended the events.



Karnataka 
Yelahanka Puttenahalli
The Karnataka Forest Department helped in conducting an interactive talk on wetlands and their importance for over 160 participants at the Government First Grade College Yelahanka.



Madiwala Lake 
Over 80 students and faculty were introduced to the joys of birdwatching and the importance of wetland health analysis. The Karnataka Forest Department, the Madiwala Lake Tank Foundation, and the District Administration generously collaborated.



Arkavathi River Basin, Bengaluru
A 1-day event that aimed to enrich local farmers’ and students’ awareness of wetland and soil conservation was held in collaboration with the District Administration, Bengaluru Rural, and the Konaghattta Gram Panchayat.



Tamil Nadu
Sullur Lake, Coimbatore
Over 35 students and teachers were introduced to the birdwatching hub that is Sullur Lake. Activities like awareness talks and drawing competitions made for a rich experience.



Tirupur
15 citizen scientist members of the Young Indians and the Nanjarayan Lake Conservation Society set up a wetland walk and awareness talk.



Anamalai Tiger Reserve
25 staff members of the Forest Department of Tamil Nadu and the Anamalai Tiger Reserve gathered for a talk on the importance of wetland conservation.



Punjab
Harike Wetland
A 3-day event was organised in collaboration with the Punjab Forest Department – attended by over 500 students and teachers. The event conducted a lot of fun-educational activities that emphasized the importance of wetlands.



Kanjli Wetland
10 members of the Punjab Forest Department came together to conduct a day-long bird survey at the Kanjli Wetland.



Assam 
Deepor Beel
A total of 90 participants joined the event, set up in collaboration with the University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya, Assam Don Bosco University and Tata Institute of Social Sciences.



Madhya Pradesh
Bhoj Wetland
The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and Bhopal Municipal Corporation enabled an event that saw 50 participants come together for a variety of engagements.



Shahpura Wetland
Over 75 participants joined the event, which was put together with the help of the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and Bhopal Municipal Corporation.