Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection

July-September | 2025
Bilateral

Protection of Biodiversity

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A German delegation visited Bhitarkanika, engaging with Odisha Forest Department staff and community champions on wetlands conservation and resilience.

Project Updates

Delegation visit to Bhitarkanika
In September 2025, a delegation led by Ms Taina Dyckhoff (Head of Division, Climate and Environment, German Embassy), Ms Meike Gaede (Deputy Head of Division, BMUKN) and Ms Teresa Reubel (Policy Officer, BMUKN) visited Bhitarkanika in Odisha, a project site of Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection.

They were joined by GIZ colleagues Mr Ravindra Singh, Ms Shambhavi Krishna and Mr Lewis Taylor. The delegation explored Bhitarkanika’s mangroves with Mr Varadaraj Gaonkar, DFO Rajnagar (Wildlife), and Odisha Forest Department staff. They also met local beneficiaries and champions involved in Green Recovery and CEPA activities in the wetland’s catchment.

The visit highlighted the importance that these biodiversity rich wetlands and mangroves play in enhancing community resilience in cyclone-prone coasts. It was also important to observe that the pressures of resource extraction on these systems can be mitigated by creating local opportunities for livelihood and by participatory management.