Lok Sabha Question No. 1097 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-02
Subject: Amrit Dharohar Initiative
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dr. D. Purandeswari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1097

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2024

## Amrit Dharohar Initiative

## 1097.   SMT. DAGGUBATI PURANDESWARI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the specific objectives and key components of the Amrit Dharohar Initiative including the  expected environmental and socio-economic outcomes;
- (b) the details of the progress and milestones achieved under the Amrit Dharohar Initiative since its inception particularly in the State of Andhra Pradesh;
- (c) the impact of the Amrit Dharohar Initiative on wetland conservation and management and  whether any study has been done in this regard, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  details  of  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  involve  local  communities  and stakeholders in the implementation and success of the said Initiative?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) Amrit Dharohar Initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India was launched in 2023  to promote unique conservation values of Ramsar Sites. The key components are Species and Habitat Conservation, Nature Tourism, Wetlands Livelihoods and Wetlands Carbon Assessment. The expected outcomes of Amrit Dharohar include protecting and promoting unique conservation and cultural heritage values, creating nature tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities, encouraging  optimal  use  while  ensuring  maintenance  of  wetland  ecological  character, safeguarding and enhancing biological diversity and carbon stock.
- (b) to (d) The details of the progress made under the Amrit Dharohar Initiative including in the State of Andhra Pradesh, studies done under the key components and involvement of the local communities and  stakeholders are as follows:
- (i) Species and Habitat Conservation : Studies conducted for inventorization of flora and fauna of 75 Ramsar Sites by Botanical Survey of India and Zoological Survey of India respectively.  People's  Biodiversity  Registers  (PBRs)  for  Ramsar  Sites  have  been developed/updated. For Kolleru Lake, a Ramsar Site in Andhra Pradesh, 73 PBRs have been  developed/updated.  To  ensure  effective  monitoring  of  the  management  plans, guidelines for Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) for Indian Wetlands were published and, METT Assessments for 22 Ramsar Sites has been done, so far. Ten educational videos on wetlands were developed for different levels of school students,
- in collaboration with Central Institute of Educational Technology, National Council of Educational Research and Training. An implementation framework for the wise use of wetlands was released.
- (ii) Nature Tourism & Wetlands Livelihoods : MoEF&CC collaborated with the Ministry of  Tourism  for  studying  the  matter  and  development  of  curriculum  for  training programs on nature tourism and wetlands livelihoods. Trainings on Alternate Livelihood Programme and Paryavaran Naavik Certification were conducted for 196 local  community  members  from  five  Ramsar  Sites.  Further,  a  training  module  for Nature  Guides  was  developed  under  the  Green  Skill  Development  Programme  of MoEF&CC.
- (iii) Wetlands  Carbon  Assessment :  'Standard  Operating  Procedure  for  Assessment  of Carbon Stock in Wetlands' was released, which has been utilised to assess the Carbonstock of 39 Ramsar Sites, including Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh .

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