UN ranks 'Namami Gange' project among world's top 10 initiatives

Tags: Government Schemes Awards National News

India's 'Namami Gange'- river Ganga rejuvenation project- has been recognised as one among world's 10 most "ground-breaking" initiatives for restoration of natural ecosystems, according to a report released during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15).

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has won the "Public Water Agency of the Year" award at the Global Water Awards, 2019 by Global Water Intelligence.

Important facts

• The award was received by G Ashok Kumar, Director General, Namami Gange, at the 15th Conference of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada on 14 December 2022.

• Namami Gange was selected from over 150 such initiatives from 70 countries across the globe. 

• They were selected under the banner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

• Recognized initiatives, including Namami Gange, will now be eligible to receive UN support, funding or technical expertise.

Other initiatives included in the World Restoration Flagship

• Trinational Atlantic Forest Pact, which aims to protect and restore the forest in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.

• Abu Dhabi Marine Restoration project that targets safeguarding the world’s second-largest dugong population in Abu Dhabi.

• Great Green Wall for restoration to restore savannahs, grasslands and farms across Africa.

• Multi-Country Mountain Initiative based in Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, Uganda and Rwanda. 

• The Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative in Kazakhstan to restore the steppe, semi-desert and desert ecosystems.

• The Central American Dry Corridor

• Shan-Shui Initiative in China

About Namami Gange

• It was approved as a 'Flagship Programme' by the Central Government in June 2014.

• It was launched to serve the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution and conservation and rejuvenation of the national river Ganga.

• It is being operated under the Ministry of Water Resources, Department of River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Jal Shakti.

• The program is being implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and its State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).