Jayshree Vencatesan wins Ramsar award for 'Wetland Wise Use'

Dr Jayshree Vencatesan has become the first Indian to win the annual prestigious Ramsar Award in the  'Wetland Wise Use' category. Dr Jayshree Vencatesan was one of the 12 women included by the Ramsar Secretariat in its second edition of Women Changemakers in the World of Wetlands.

The Ramsar secretariat based in Gland, Switzerland announced the names of the ‘2025 Women changemakers in the world of wetlands’ on the eve of the International Women’s Day on 7th March 2025.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is the international treaty that protects the wetlands of the world. Its secretariat is located at the headquarters of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) in Gland, Switzerland.

About the Women changemakers in the world of wetlands

In 2018, the members of the Ramsar Convention adopted a resolution on Gender and Wetlands. This resolution focused on integrating a gender perspective into the implementation of the Ramsar Convention, ensuring that women and their specific needs are considered. 

In 2024, the Ramsar secretariat released the first ‘Women changemakers in the world of wetlands’ to honour women across the world for their leadership and commitment to conserving and protecting wetlands.

Categories of Award

The Women are recognised in three categories:

• Fostering international collaboration for wetlands , 
• Wise use of wetlands, and  
• Wetland protection 

Jayshree Vencatesan was honoured in the “ wise use of wetlands’ category.

Winner of the 2025 Women changemakers in the world of wetlands 

Following is the list of the 12 women who were honoured for their contribution to conserving wetlands across the world.

Fostering international collaboration for wetlands Category 

• Professor Celesto Saulo of Argentina - She is currently Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO),
• Julie Mulonga of Kenya- She is the Director for Eastern Africa, Wetlands International,
• Jennifer George of New Zealand -Chief Executive Officer of the East. Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership,
• Libuše Vlasáková of Czechia - Senior Advisor, Ministry of Environment

Contributing to Wetland Protection

• Rachel D’Silva of Jamaica - Senior Environmental Scientist, CL Environmental
• Laura González of Panama- Executive Director, Marea Verde
• Franziska Trautmann of the United States of America- Co-founder, Glass Half Full.
• Oladosu Adenike of Nigeria- Founder, I Lead Climate Action Initiative

Contributing to the Wise Use of Wetlands

• Tatiana Minayeva of Poland- Consultant, Care for Ecosystems,
• Rosa Jalja of Bolivia- Founding Member, Women United in Defense of the Water of Lake Titicaca,
• Teresa Vincente Gimenez of Spain- Professor of Philosophy of Law, University of Murcia,
• Dr. Jayshree Vencatesan of India-Co Founder, Care Earth Trust

About Dr. Jayshree Vencatesan

Dr. Jayshree Vencatesan is the co-founder of the Care Earth Trust, established in 2000 in Chennai, Tamil  Nadu. 

The Trust is an all women non-governmental organisation that works for the conservation of biodiversity through research, advocacy, and capacity building. 

Dr. Vencatesan’s Jayshree and her team were the first to document the Pallikaranai Marsh in Chennai and its role in flood mitigation and biodiversity. 

Her organisation was awarded the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar in 2009 by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for its pioneering work on conserving the Pallikaranai Marsh and the Nanmangalam Forest.

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