Bhupender Yadav calls for Global action on conservation

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday inaugurated the Global Conservation Conference of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Jaipur, calling for stronger global action on conservation and coexistence with the involvement of local communities. Addressing representatives from more than 100 countries, Yadav emphasised the need to work collectively on conservation, reconnect communities with nature, draw confidence from progress already achieved and build a shared sense of hope and direction. The minister highlighted India’s conservation achievements and outlined the country’s approach towards protecting wildlife, habitats and biodiversity.
Yadav said the number of protected areas in India has increased from around 750 to more than 1,000 over the last decade. During the same period, the number of tiger reserves increased from 47 to 58, while elephant reserves rose from 30 to 33. The number of Ramsar sites in the country also increased significantly, from 24 to 101. The minister also highlighted India’s cheetah reintroduction programme and described it as a major conservation success under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said India’s commitment to species conservation is rooted not only in modern environmental laws but also in the country’s constitutional and cultural traditions.Yadav highlighted the role of scientific research and monitoring in India’s conservation programmes.
India’s Constitution provides a framework under which wildlife protection is both a directive for the State and a duty of citizens. Yadav also noted that India is a party to major international conservation agreements, including CITES, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Ramsar Convention.