How a Mongabay India series elevated local wetland conservation efforts to national & international levels

11 Dec 2025

Many people across India depend on wetlands for their survival, whether as a source of water for drinking and domestic use, or for fishing or irrigating crops. These water bodies are also key habitats where migratory birds and other wildlife thrive, and they are also part of the nation’s vast environmental heritage.

Despite their importance, wetlands are among the ecosystems least reported on by the county’s media, and in turn, they are less discussed in public and policy spheres. However, there are many people and communities across the country that have long understood the significance of the ecosystem services that wetlands provide, and have been working to conserve them. 

These are individuals whose daily jobs are not conservation-related, and hence are termed “wetland champions.” Ranging from security guards to shepherds and Buddhist monks, their motivation for conserving the wetlands close to them is a love for the ecosystem and a realization of their importance. 

To put these efforts in the spotlight, Mongabay India launched the Wetland Champions series. Spanning 25 stories across India’s diverse wetland ecosystems – from the coasts to the mountains, and from big rivers to small streams – these stories featured individual heroes and entire communities, revealing how wetlands sustain livelihoods, biodiversity, and cultural identity across the country.

One article featured Bijay Kumar Kabi, who led the residents of Badakot – a village along the periphery of Bhitarkanika National Park, one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in India and a Ramsar Site – in converting degraded land into a 25-acre mangrove forest that protects their village from erosion. Over a 12-year period, the community developed the mangrove forest and also negotiated with the forest department and others for seeds, training and more so the mangroves could be grown effectively and ensure that the effort would succeed.

Impact

The Wetland Champions series helped elevate local wetland conservation efforts to the national stage when India’s Prime Minister amplified the work of Mr. Kabi during Mann ki Baat, his widely broadcast monthly radio program that highlights inspiring initiatives across the country. This coverage aligned with the launch of Mission Sahbhagita in 2022 – India’s participatory wetland governance program – and for a celebration as part of that, the national Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change invited a group of the wetland champions to an event in New Delhi.

Villagers from Badakot and Kabi discuss environmental issues in their area. The villages lie at the periphery of Bhitarkanika, one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in India, and a Ramsar Site. Photo by Manish Kumar for Mongabay.
Villagers from Badakot and Kabi discuss environmental issues in their area. The villages lie at the periphery of Bhitarkanika, one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in India, and a Ramsar Site. Photo by Manish Kumar for Mongabay.

Ritesh Kumar, the South Asia director of Wetlands International, also praised the series for its “journalistic integrity and quality.” He said that Wetland Champions “ushered in faith in local affirmative action and have since figured prominently in national programming on wetlands.”

“Several unsung stalwarts came to the fore,” he added. “People reached out to these champions and connected with them. Several of the Mann ki Baat figured these champions.” 

Mr. Kumar also reflected on the international impact of the series: “Within Wetlands International’s network, these stories have travelled globally, finding similarities in local wetland action in various parts of the world,” he said.

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Banner image: Illustration by Sudarshan Shaw, a graphic artist, communication designer and sculptor from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He strives to devise a visual dialect that brings the smell of the land, the voices of its folks, and the wisdom of their ancestors together.