Conclusion Wetlands are unique habitats and vital ecological resources with multi-functional benefits requiring attention for conservation. This chapter highlighted some of the efforts of partner agencies – namely the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), the Wildlife Institute of India, Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation Punjab, Department of Education, Punjab, and Punjab State Council for Science and Technology – to enhance understanding about wetland ecosystems among students. To that end, various activities have been undertaken to make learning easy through the promotion of action-oriented activities and the augmentation of education towards sustainable development. The partners, through this initiative, have been able to inspire the young energetic force of Punjab through the National Green Corps Programme’s network of 5,000 Eco-Clubs and the National Wetland Conservation Programme of the MoEF by creating small live models of wetlands in schools around the three Ramsar sites of, Harike, Kanjli and Ropar. They have also established Wetland Education Centres in schools around state wetlands and they have carried out various awareness and capacity building activities in schools all over Punjab state, such as the celebration of World Wetland Day and World Environment Day, and the development of the wetlands yearly planner and a wetlands game. The partner agencies are distributing equipment like binoculars and water testing kits to up increase the interest of partners at the grassroots level. While these initiatives have increased the understanding about wetlands, there is still a need to broaden the importance of wetland resources and their use. The wetlands conservation partners in Punjab state are exploring sustainable livelihoods associated with wetlands so that the wetland ecosystems can benefit individuals and communities economically and help in the move towards greater sustainable development overall. 77 10
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
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