UN Recognises India's Namami Gange Initiative To Rejuvenate Ganga River As One Of The Top Ten World Restoration Flagships

The United Nations (UN) has recognised Namami Gange initiative to rejuvenate India’s sacred River Ganga as one of the top 10 World Restoration Flagships to revive the natural world.

The award was received by Namani Gange director general at a function in the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada on 14 December, according to a Jal Shakti Ministry release.

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

The initiatives 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).

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

Together, the 10 flagships aim to restore more than 68 million hectares − an area bigger than Myanmar, France or Somalia − and create nearly 15 million jobs.

“The recognition of Namami Gange as one of the top-10 ecosystem restoration initiatives in the world bears testimony to the concerted efforts being made by the National Mission for Clean Ganga, Government of India for the restoration of the riverine ecosystem. I hope that our endeavours provide a roadmap for other similar interventions across the globe," said Namami Gange DG G Asok Kumar.