Wetlands are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on the planet, supporting a vast array of flora and fauna, including one in every ten known species.

Loss and degradation of wetlands have a profound impact on species that rely on them for survival. In India, which serves as a vital node for avian migration, almost 70% of all migratory waterbirds along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) winter in its wetlands. Pressures from land-use change, pollution, invasive species, hydrological alteration, and climate change have severely affected wetland-dependent biodiversity.

There is a growing recognition that conserving biodiversity in wetlands requires a shift from isolated interventions to an ecological network approach, a framework that views wetlands as interconnected systems across landscapes and flyways. This approach emphasises the protection of functional linkages between wetlands, enabling species migration, genetic exchange, and ecological resilience. 

Our Impact

• Hosts the Asian Waterbird Census , Asia’s longest-running citizen science program covering 3,000+ wetlands as part of the global waterbird monitoring initiative
• Partnered with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department to conduct economic valuation in the Lahaul-Pangi landscape, guiding investments in high-altitude wetland conservation
• Co-developed the guidelines for identifying Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) in India

• Developed management interventions for prioritised wetlands within a 100-km radius of Tata Motors manufacturing facilities in four landscapes
• Integrated biodiversity conservation into wetland management planning across multiple sites

• Integration of wetlands of high ornithological value in National Action Plan for Central Asian Flyway
• Hosted the first meeting of Range Countries to draft the regional Action Plan, and, as part of MoEFCC’s technical committee
• As part of MoEFCC’s technical committee, supported integrating wetland targets into the National Biodiversity Targets