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Issue no. 34 | July 2025

Indo-German Biodiversity Programme Newsletter     This newsletter shares project updates and thematic news from our programme A service by IGBP, GIZ

Dear Readers, In the year 1947, MS Randhawa, a botanist and Khurshid Ahmad Khan, the then Delhi Police Commissioner, organised a week-long tree plantation to emphasise the impact of deforestation in the country. Three years later, Kanaiyaka Maneklal Munshi proclaimed this movement as a national activity, and urged everyone to celebrate the ‘Van Mahotsav’ (Meaning Great Forest Festival) every year in first week of July, an initiative that continues even today. The movement was not simply a tree plantation drive but a coming together of people to celebrate their contribution towards the planet. It is this spirit of the whole of society coming together that continues to be a beacon of hope for ecosystem conservation. This newsletter edition comes at the heel of Ramsar Convention CoP15 kick-off in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe where representatives from over 170 countries are convening till month-end to strengthen international commitments for wetland conservation. Aligned with this year’s theme—Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future— our team is facilitating two side events—one on the climate co-benefits of wetlands, and the other on how sustainable lifestyles and cultures can strengthen wise use. Details are in this newsletter. We look forward to sharing reflections from these discussions in our September issue. On 26 July, as we mark the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, this thirty-fourth issue begins with the voices of communities who listen to these coastal forests. Listening to the Tide captures spoken traditional knowledge on mangroves across India. We are also proud to bring you Champions of Bhitarkanika, which showcases stories of ten changemakers from the mangroves of Bhitarkanika in Odisha. This issue’s second spotlight article, co-written with our state partner, is on ‘Kyasanur Forest Disease: What you must know about Monkey Fever in Goa’. We also bring an in-house zine on wetlands and their innumerable linkages with Indian cuisine, titled ‘Jalaj’ (meaning born of water). We hope these updates and stories of collective actions inspire you in your conservation journey. After all, in the words of Lady Bird Johnson, “The environment is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest. It is the one thing all of us share.”  Warmly, Editors         Spotlight » Listening to the tide » Kyasanur forest disease: What you must know about ‘monkey fever’ in Goa New Releases and Resources Updates from the Projects » Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection Side Events at Ramsar CoP15, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Important Days and Events About the Programme Other Relevant Newsletters

Spotlight     Listening to the tide Traditional knowledge of Mangroves along India’s coasts Before mangroves appeared in climate reports or government plans, they lived in stories. In lullabies, fishing songs, and warnings passed between generations. Do you know how coastal communities still read these signs?     Keep reading »     © GIZ Kyasanur forest disease: What you must know about ‘monkey fever’ in Goa Have you ever heard of Kyasanur forest disease, or KFD? If not, you are not alone. But if you live or work in or near a forested area in Goa, this is a disease worth knowing about. KFD is a viral illness that spreads between animals and humans; experts call this a zoonotic disease. Specifically, it is transmitted by infected ticks that live in forested areas and feed on several types of animals, including monkeys, mice and cattle.     Keep reading »     © GIZ/Vimarsh Sharma     New Releases and Resources     © GIZ The Champions of Bhitarkanika This publication is a collection of testimonials from the Bhitarkanika Mangroves in Kendrapara District, Odisha. It presents ten stories from local initiatives carried out between 2019 and 2024 under the Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection project. © GIZ Jalaj This in-house zine captures the linkages between wetlands and Indian cuisine. Documenting these parts of the intangible heritage of different communities helps preserve traditional knowledge, enhance stewardship, and support sustainable livelihoods and tourism based on wetlands. This, in turn, strengthens the well-being of wetland-dependent communities and builds lasting support for conservation.     Updates from the Projects     Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection © GIZ/Divit Kushwaha   What does a bee tell us? Reflections from Indian Conservation Conference (ICCON) ICCON 2025, held at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, brought together researchers, conservationists, policymakers, students, and community leaders to connect science with real-life solutions.     Read more »         Side Events at Ramsar CoP15, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe     Important Days and Events     »  12 August - International Youth Day | Theme: Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond. »  7 September - International Day of Clean Air for blue skies »  27 September - World Tourism Day | Theme: Tourism and Sustainable Transformation     About the Programme       . The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, in partnership with GIZ India is implementing the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme (IGBP). Commissioned in India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), the programme addresses various challenges of biodiversity conservation across projects.     Enhancement of Smallholder Spice Farmers’ Capacities in Sustainable Farming »         One Health and Agroecology »         Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem Services »         Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection »         Subscribe to our Newsletter         Other Relevant Newsletters         The International Climate Initiative (IKI)         Sector Network Natural Resources and Rural Development (SNRD) Asia and Pacific

Contact Disclaimer Recommend this newsletter www.giz.de   Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Registered offices Bonn and Eschborn, Germany Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36 53113 Bonn, Germany T +49 228 44 60-0 F +49 228 44 60-17 66 Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1 - 5 65760 Eschborn, Germany T +49 61 96 79-0 F +49 61 96 79-11 15 E info@giz.de I www.giz.de Registered at Local court (Amtsgericht) Bonn, Germany: HRB 18384 Local court (Amtsgericht) Frankfurt am Main, Germany: HRB 12394 VAT no. DE 113891176 Tax no. 040 250 56973 Chairperson of the Supervisory Board Niels Annen, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Management Board Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel (Chair) Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven (Vice-Chair) Anna Sophie Herken In charge of this newsletter: Ravindra Singh, Programme Director Editor(s): Tanbir Azmi, Communication and Knowledge Management Specialist Shambhavi Krishna, Technical Advisor, Wetland Management for Biodiversity and Climate Change Shivaraman Balaji, Technical Advisor, One Health and Agroecology With contributions from: IGBP Team Photo Credits: Title image ©GIZ / Aashima Negi     If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please click here.