Wetlands are complex ecosystems,
which share the characteristics of both wet and dry environments.
Wetlands encompass a wide range
of inland, coastal and marine habitats and show immense diversity based on
their genesis, geographical location, hydrological regimes and substrate
factors. They include flood plains, swamps, marshes, fishponds, tidal marshes,
natural and man-made wetlands.
Among the most productive life
support, wetlands have immense socio-economic and ecological importance for
mankind. They are crucial to the survival of natural biodiversity.
They provide suitable habitats
for endangered and rare species of birds and animals, endemic plants, insects
besides sustaining migratory birds.
India has a wealth of wetland
ecosystems distributed in different geographical regions. Most of the wetlands
in India are directly or indirectly linked with major river systems such as the
Ganges, Cauvery, Krishna, Godavari and Tapti.
India has totally 27, 403
wetlands, of which 23,444 are inland wetlands and 3,959 are coastal wetlands.
According to the Directory of
Asian Wetlands (1989), wetlands occupy 18.4% of the country area (excluding
rivers), of which 70 % are under paddy cultivation.
In India, out of an estimated 4.1
mha (excluding irrigated agricultural lands, rivers, and streams) of wetlands,
1.5 mha are natural, while 2.6 mha are manmade. The coastal wetlands occupy an
estimated 6,750 sq km, and are largely dominated by mangrove vegetation.
India is also a signatory to the
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the Convention of Biological Diversity.
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Ramsar Convention is the only
global environment treaty dealing with a particular ecosystem.
The Convention on Wetlands,
signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides
the framework for national action and international cooperation for the
conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
was developed as a means to call international attention to the rate at which
wetland habitats were disappearing, due to lack of understanding of their
important functions, values, goods and services.
There are presently 158
Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1758 wetland sites, totalling 161
million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of
International Importance.
The salient features of Ramsar
Convention includes recommendations for monitoring of biodiversity and
anthropogenic impact; improvement of the legislation for protection of the
wetlands; elaboration of economic mechanisms for the biodiversity protection
while in nature management; organisation of new protected areas (Ramsar sites)
in Kamchatka region; organisation of work with local population and search for
sources of funding.
Conservation of Natural Resources
Nature has provided bountiful
resources surrounding us for sustenance of a better life. Thus, any part of our
natural environment such as land, water, air, minerals, forest, grassland,
wildlife, fish or even human population that man can utilize to promote his welfare,
may be considered as Natural Resources.
These resources, along with human
resources and capital, play a crucial role for expansion to national output
which ultimately drives towards economic development. Hence for sustainable
development, careful use of the exhaustible resources and maintenance of the
quality of renewable resources are needed. For that, certain objectives should
be followed.
Ecological balance has been
defined as "a state of dynamic equilibrium within a community of organisms
in which genetic, species and ecosystem diversity remain relatively stable,
subject to gradual changes through natural succession." and "a stable
balance in the numbers of each species in an ecosystem."
The most important point being
that the natural balance in an ecosystem is maintained. This balance may be
disturbed due to the introduction of new species, the sudden death of some
species, natural hazards or man-made causes.
Common property resources (CPRs)
constitute all such resources which are meant for common use of the villagers.
Biodiversity, or biological
diversity, is a term coined to describe the immense variety and richness of
life on this planet.
Biodiversity includes not only
the many species that exist, but also the diversity of populations that make up
a species, the genetic diversity among individual life forms, and the many
different habitats and ecosystems around the globe.
"Biodiversity is the variety
of the world's organisms, including their genetic diversity and the assemblage
they form." Biodiversity" is most commonly used as species diversity
and species richness and as the "totality of genes, species, and
ecosystems of a region".
Biological variety has been identified as
species diversity, ecosystem diversity and genetic diversity.
List of Wetlands in India
Himalayan wetlands which includes
Ladakh and Zanskar Pangong Tso, Tso Morad, Chantau, Noorichan, Chushul and
Hanlay marshes, Kashmir Valley including Dal, Anchar, Wular, Haigam, Malgam,
Haukersar and Kranchu lakes, Central Himalayas including Nainital, Bhimtal and
Naukuchital and Eastern Himalayas having numerous wetlands in Sikkim, Assam,
Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur, Beels in the Brahmaputra
and Barak valley.
Indo-Gangetic wetlands are the
largest wetland system in India, extending from the river Indus in the west to
Brahmaputra in the east. This includes the wetlands of the Himalayan terai and
the Indo-Gangetic plains.
Coastal wetlands contains the
vast intertidal areas, mangroves and lagoons along the 7500 km long coastline
in West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa,
Maharashtra. and Gujarat.
Mangrove forests of Sunderbans,
West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Offshore coral reefs of Gulf of
Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Lakshwadeep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Deccan Wetland includes a few
natural wetlands, but innumerable small and large reservoirs and several water
storage tanks in almost every village in the region.
National Wetland Policy
National wetland strategy should
encompass
(i) Conservation and
collaborative management;
(ii) Prevention of loss and promotion of
restoration; and
(iii) Sustainable management.
These include Protection of the
existing wetlands. Of the many wetlands in India, only around 68 wetlands are
protected. But there are thousands of other wetlands that are biologically and
economically important but have no legal status.
Active monitoring of these
wetland systems over a period of time is essential. Although several laws
protect wetlands there is no special legislation pertaining specially to these
ecosystems.
Building Awareness is needed.
Awareness among the general public, educational and corporate institutions must
be created for achieving any sustainable success in the protection of these
wetlands.
The policy makers at various
levels, along with site managers, need to be educated. The scientific knowledge
will help the planners in understanding the economic values and benefits, which
in turn will help in setting priorities and focusing the planning process.
The bi-lateral cooperation in the
resource management needs to be enhanced if country's wetlands are shared.
National Wetland Conservation
Programme (NWCP)
The Government opertionalized
National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP) in closed collaboration with
concerned State Government during the year 1986.
Under the programme 115 wetlands
have been identified till now by the Ministry of Environment and Forests which
requires urgent conservation and management initiatives.
The aim of this Scheme is
Conservation and wise use of wetlands in the country so as to prevent their
further degradation.
The scheme was initiated to lay
down policy guidelines for conservation and management of wetlands in the country;
to undertake intensive conservation measures in priority wetlands; to monitor
implementation of the programme and to prepare an inventory of Indian
wetlands.
Legislations
Wetlands conservation in India is
indirectly influenced by an array of policy and legislative measures. Some of
the key legislations are the Indian Fisheries Act, 1857, the Indian Forest Act,
1927, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Water (Prevention and Control of
Pol1ution) Act, 1974, Territorial Water, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic
Zone and other, Marine Zones Act, 1976, Water (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act, 1977, Maritime Zone of India.(Regulation and fishing by foreign
vessels) Act 1980, Forest (Conservation Act), 1980, Environmental (Protection)
Act, 1986, Coastal Zone Regulation Notification, 1991, Wildlife (Protection)
Amendment Act, 1991, based on UN Convention on Biological diversity 1992,
Biological Diversity Act, 2002 was enacted. National Conservation Strategy and
Policy Statement on Environment and Development, 1992, National Policy and
Macro level Action Strategy on Biodiversity, 1999 are also formulated by
Government.
Wetland Management and
Sustainable Development
Wetlands are not delineated under
any specific administrative jurisdiction. The primary responsibility for the
management of these ecosystems is in the hands of the Ministry of Environment
and Forests. Although some wetlands are protected after the formulation of the
Wildlife Protection Act, effective coordination between the different ministries,
energy, industry, fisheries, revenue, agriculture, transport and water
resources, is essential for the protection of these ecosystems.
Environmental management for
sustainable utilization is the prime need of the hour. Industrial development
with respect to automobiles, chemicals, fertilizers, insecticides, etc., are
coming up very fast in India and due to various reasons these are often held
responsible for environmental damage.
Lack of environmentally educated
society, inefficient management, weak law enforcement, corporate greed to earn
more profit with less investment can also lead to chemical accidents and
causing imbalance in sustainable development. (PIB features)
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