World Wetlands Day was celebrated in Ladakh on 2nd February, 2023 by GoI-UNDP-GEF SECURE Himalaya Project along with the Department of Wildlife Protection and Wetland Authority of Union Territory of Ladakh with students from Changthang. The celebrations were organised alongside a Winter Bridging Programme being organised by SAVE Changthang at Druk Padma Karpo School in Shey.
The students belonging from various villages of Changthang were first taken on an early morning trip to sight birds at Shey, led by Padma Gyalpo, an avid birder from the region. Various species of birds such as Eurasian Sparrow Hawk, Carrion Crow, Common Merganser, among several others were spotted by the group of 65 students.
This was followed by a theoretical session orienting students on the importance of wetlands and its conservation by Tanuj Nagpal, Landscape Project Office; Anub Paljor, Project Associate and Nurzin Angmo, Intern. They explained about the linkages of wetlands with conservation of wild animals, climate change mitigation, water security, and the local cultures of Ladakh.
Sajjad Hussain Mufti, Chief Wildlife Warden, Ladakh addressed the gathered students and encouraged the youth of Ladakh to actively conserve wetlands in their vicinity. Apart from the RAMSAR sites of Ladakh – Tso Moriri and Tso Kar – the Chief Wildlife Warden spoke of the importance of other wetlands and marshes of the Union Territory that are vital to the wellbeing of its ecosystems like Yaya Tso, Pangong Tso, and marshes in Hanle, Chushul and Staklung.
The last session of the programme involved roleplaying activities to invoke the importance of interconnectedness of ecosystem components.
