Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the Global Conservation Conference of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) at Jaipur on September 21, 2026. The event was attended by representatives from more than 100 countries and dignitaries including Additional Director General (Wildlife) Ramesh Pandey, Rajasthan's Head of Forest Force Arijit Banerjee, WWF-International's Chief Conservation Officer Daudi Samba, and WWF-India CEO Ravi Singh.
Minister Yadav emphasized the need for global action on conservation and coexistence by involving local communities. He shared significant conservation achievements under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, noting that protected areas have increased from approximately 750 to more than 1,000 in the last decade. Tiger reserves expanded from 47 to 58, elephant reserves from 30 to 33, and Ramsar sites (wetlands of international importance) grew from 24 to 101 during the same period. Yadav specifically highlighted the successful cheetah reintroduction program in India.
The minister stated that India's commitment to species conservation is both constitutional and cultural, with a framework that makes protecting wildlife a state directive and citizen's duty. India is a party to multiple international conventions including CITES, CMS, CBD, and the Ramsar Convention. Yadav cited India's recovery of tigers, elephants, rhinos, and Asiatic lions as evidence of what sustained political will can achieve.
Yadav highlighted how scientific research and monitoring mechanisms have contributed to conservation successes, including pan-India population estimations of species such as tigers, elephants, dolphins, lions, and snow leopards. These efforts have provided insights for habitat improvement, securing corridors, and implementing landscape approaches for megafaunal species. He specifically mentioned the successful conservation breeding of the Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan and community-led protection of sacred groves called Oran, which contributes to land degradation neutrality.
The minister emphasized the need for conservation of grasslands alongside woodlands and wetlands, sharing India's approach toward conservation of grassland-based mega herbivores. He informed the gathering about ongoing conservation programs for the one-horned rhinoceros and wild water buffalo. Yadav concluded by calling on wildlife conservationists to come together to reflect, move forward, learn from successful approaches, and turn them into action.