New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS): Minster of State for External Affairs and Education Rajkumar Ranjan Singh on Thursday called for every individuals' participatory role beyond their societal realm to save the the country's wetlands.

Emphasising that water security is central to the lives and livelihoods of people, Singh said that in its 75th year of Independence, India has designated 75 wetlands as Ramsar sites which is the largest network in Asia.

He was speaking at an event of Wetlands International South Asia to mark its Silver Jubilee year of inception here on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, MoS External Affairs complimented the Environment Ministry for providing support to the state governments in implementing management plans for priority wetlands since 1986, covering more than 250 wetlands to date.

Citing the example of Loktak wetland being revered as mother to the people of Manipur, Singh said that apart from its important role in the ecosystem, wetlands are also a unique cultural heritage.

Laying emphasis on wetlands as societal assets, Ritesh Kumar, Director Wetlands International South Asia, stressed upon de-centralising wetland management augmenting interventions from regulatory to one enabling a participatory approach through dialogues and collaborative actions.

Emphasising on the critical role of the wetland ecosystem, Siddharth Kaul, President Wetlands International South Asia, called for urgent scaling up of efforts on wetlands conservation and wise use.