Jayshree Vencatesan becomes first Indian to win Ramsar award for Wetland Wise Use
CHENNAI: Jayshree Vencatesan, co-founder of Chennai-based Care Earth Trust, has become the first Indian to be honored with the Ramsar award for 'Wetland Wise Use', a globally recognised accolade celebrating contributions to the sustainable management of wetlands.
She is one of the 12 women changemakers in the world of wetlands as announced by the Ramsar secretariat in Geneva on the eve of International Women's Day on Friday. There were three groupings, Jayashree was recognised under 'wise use of wetlands' category.
Jayashree is known for her decades-long dedication to preserving India’s wetlands, particularly the Pallikaranai Marsh in Chennai. Her journey in conservation began with a modest $350 and a resolve to protect India’s marshlands, often dismissed as “wastelands”.
Her work documenting the biodiversity and ecological significance of Pallikaranai Marsh brought wide attention to its role in flood mitigation and as a haven for over 337 species of flora and fauna. Leading an all-women research team, she has not only safeguarded wetlands but also mentored a new generation of female conservationists.
Jayashree has dedicated the award to her late father, Mayur Narasimhan, whose simple, nature-loving life inspired her path. She called for greater investment in equipping women with technical skills and decision-making roles in wetland management. “Change isn’t about quick wins—it’s about persistence, often measured in decades, to ensure a lasting impact,” she said, reflecting on her philosophy of persistence.
On challenges, she says a cluster of seemingly irrelevant and unrelated issues, protocols, procedures, and systems have a greater bearing on wetlands is a lesson she learned the hard way. "For example, land titles given as gifts to a currently non-existent family 350 years ago, user rights over a use that is not in practice currently etc derailed and stopped the restoration of an important wetland while the unbridled ego of a donor ensured that the last patch of a rare aquatic plant looked like a weed. This absurdity is the biggest challenge that I continue to face while trying to conserve wetlands."
As Tamil Nadu boasts 18 Ramsar sites, Jayashree's work stands as a beacon of hope, urging continued commitment to wetland conservation amid urban pressures.
The other noted women changemakers in the list are Celeste Saulo, secretary general of World Meteorological Organisation; Jennifer George, CEO of East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership Secretariat and Tatiana Minayeva, consultant of Care for Ecosystems.