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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

24/08/24 13:23 PM IST

India adds 3 new Ramsar sites

In News
  • Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced three new Ramsar sites in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh earlier this month, taking the total of such sites in India to 85.
Wetlands
  • According to the convention, wetlands are defined as “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres”.
  • This definition includes all lakes, rivers, underground aquifers, swamps, marshes, and other major water bodies. Wetlands help regulate climate conditions through carbon sequestration, that is the storage of carbon from the atmosphere, and purifying water by removing pollutants from the shallow waters.
Ramsar sites
  • The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.
  • It encourages the protection and conservation of wetlands worldwide by designating them as such.
  • The selection of Ramsar sites is based on various criteria defined under the convention.
  • For example, “A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions.” It also looks at the sites’ capacity to support fishes and waterbirds.
  • Organisations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and other environmental agencies are associated with the treaty.
  • It also has 172 signatory countries.
  • They are obligated to create wetland reserves and promote the wise use of wetland habitats.
  • India joined it in 1982, initially designating the Chilika Lake in Orissa and Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan.
  • Today, the country has among the highest number of Ramsar sites in Asia.
  • The Sundarbans is one of the most renowned wetlands in India. Cold desert ecosystems also have wetlands, like the Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso in Ladakh, which include rare and endangered species such as the black-necked crane.
New Ramsar sites
  • The Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu is located on the banks of river Noyyal.
  • Originally a water reservoir for irrigation use, it has since become a significant ecosystem, supporting a varied range of avifauna.
  • Home to species like the Eurasian coot, spot-billed duck and many types of herons, the wetland also serves various migratory birds flying along the Central Asian Highway, establishing itself as a biodiversity hotspot. It also contributes to the locals’ livelihood through fishing.
  • The Kazhuveli Sanctuary on the Coromandel Coast is one of the largest brackish water wetlands in south India.
  • The ecosystem’s mix of salt marshes, mudflats and shallow waters make it a home to many globally endangered species, like the black-headed ibis and greater flamingo.
  • It is also a stopover for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
  • In storing water, Kazhuveli also helps with flood control and groundwater recharge, helping maintain the region’s water table.
  • The Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh is also integral in regional water management.
  • Created by damming the Tawa River, the reservoir became a massive wintering ground for migratory birds.
  • Tawa provides irrigation water to farmlands, drinking water to local communities, and sustains the nearby fisheries.
Threats to wetlands
  • Wetlands protect the environment from floods and storms by absorbing the excess rainfall and serving as a buffer against the impact of extreme weather events.
  • This is all the more important, as climate change has begun impacting the severity of such incidents.
  • With the world in critical need of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, wetlands play a role in carbon storage.
  • The Indian government has launched a series of policies and initiatives to protect wetlands, like the National Wetland Conservation Programme of 1986 and the 2015 National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Wetlands.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also identified over 2,200 wetlands for conservation schemes.
  • According to the Ramsar Convention’s Global Wetland Outlook (2018), 35% of global wetlands were lost between 1970 and 2015, with human activities contributing to their destruction.
  • The  degradation and shrinking of wetlands in India because of encroachment, pollution and rapid urbanisation.
  • Agricultural and industrial run-off into water bodies significantly damages wetlands’ health, worsening the water quality.
Source- Indian Express

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