NEW DELHI, Apr 16 (IPS) – Late in February, India’s famous ornithologist and conservationist, Asad Rahmani, wrote a letter to a wildlife warden in north India expressing his satisfaction in regards to the availability of water in 4 essential wetlands in Kashmir, the place migratory birds from central Asia and Europe arrive yearly for wintering.
This letter was in sharp distinction to Rahmani’s earlier issues in regards to the “deteriorating well being” of wetlands in Kashmir and elsewhere in India. Conservationists, activists, and newspaper editorials in India have lengthy been expressing issues in regards to the “decline” and “neglect” of wetland ecosystems throughout India. A current editorial in a outstanding English newspaper in India emphasised the significance of action-oriented measures by the federal and state governments for safeguarding wetlands.
In its Dwelling Planet Report 2024, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) flagged the disappearing wetlands within the south Indian metropolitan metropolis of Chennai (within the chapter “Tipping Level”) as a warning signal of speedy ecosystem destruction, which isn’t solely leading to acute water shortages however can also be making Chennai extra susceptible to floods.
Wildlife fanatics similar to Rahmani take a look at wetlands from the attitude of wetlands as wildlife habitats, notably for birds. “I reiterate that if we assure ample and well timed provide of water, Kashmir wetlands will once more assist lakhs (a whole lot of 1000’s) of birds in every wetland. In addition they have nice potential to draw vacationers and birdwatchers,” Rahmani, who has additionally served because the Director of the Bombay Pure Historical past Society (BNHS), wrote within the letter seen by IPS.
“Hokarsar is essential for each resident and migratory waterfowl. As many as 64 species in and across the wetland have been reported throughout fowl ringing research. The is especially essential as a wintering space for migratory geese and geese and as a breeding space for herons, egrets, and rails,” Rahmani famous.
In his earlier communications previously few years, Rahmani has expressed critical issues in regards to the deteriorating well being of wetlands and their shrinkage.
Vanishing wetlands in India
On the event of this yr’s World Wetlands Day on February 2, India designated 4 new Ramsar websites in three completely different states, taking the tally of Ramsar websites wetlands to 89 in India.
Nonetheless, regardless of including extra Ramsar websites virtually yearly and celebrating these conservation efforts, many wetlands throughout India are unraveling and disappearing at an alarming charge—the nation has already misplaced practically one-third of its wetlands to urbanization since 1940, in accordance with the obtainable knowledge.
Quoting knowledge from the written response of India’s setting ministry to a Proper to Info (RTI) software, a report in considered one of India’s nationwide newspapers on March 24 (this yr) revealed that out of India’s estimated over 200,000 wetlands, solely 102 have been notified and even these are concentrated in three states and one Union territory. When a wetland is notified by the federal government in India, it means the demarcation of the wetland’s boundary, its ecological significance, and the necessity for its conservation are formally acknowledged and are additionally made obtainable for public information.
Wetlands are the lifelines that present freshwater, meals, and constructing supplies; regulate floods; recharge groundwater; and even assist fight local weather change by carbon sequestration, specialists say, including that increasing agriculture, air pollution, and unchecked water extraction are pushing these fragile ecosystems—and the species that rely upon them—towards disaster.
Rahmani advised IPS that there are scores of legal guidelines and conservation insurance policies launched by the federal and state governments in India for the safety of wetlands throughout the nation, however, he stated, they “have failed” to make sure their safety.
“We’ve got the Wetland Authority of India and state wetland authorities which have recognized wetlands for conservation. However there’s hardly something vital these so-called authorities have performed up to now for wetland safety. Typically the officers of those authorities don’t have any primary concept of the functioning of a wholesome wetland,” Rahmani noticed.
He stated that the Authorities of India has began a number of good conservation schemes and tasks, such because the Amrit Sarovar undertaking, underneath which every district will shield 75 wetlands for which cash was additionally given. “ this good scheme is generally used to hold out pointless development in wetlands, similar to cemented works within the title of wetland administration and tourism improvement,” he stated.
Defending wetlands
“No wetland needs to be ‘beautified.’ Nature is gorgeous. Holding native ecology and naturalness in thoughts, most wetlands may be revived very simply with little funds… no pure wetland lives in isolation… catchment space is extraordinarily essential for wetlands revival and conservation,” Rahmani stated.
In keeping with Rahmani, small wetlands, essential for biodiversity and native individuals, “are uncared for,” and bigger wetlands (a few of them man-made lakes and reservoirs) “are underneath risk of hedonistic” tourism.
Faiyaz Ahmad Khudsar, senior scientist, Biodiversity Parks Programme, College of Delhi, stated that wetlands are sadly typically seen as wastelands.
“If there are any particular locations for dumping of stable or liquid waste, they’re wetlands and streams… equally, close to cities you could have wetlands getting encroached upon for development of homes and different infrastructure,” Khudsar stated.
He noticed that there needs to be a deal with restoration ecology if the degraded wetlands are to be protected. This, he stated, may be performed by supporting the degraded ecosystems to get well, which must be supported by communities, scientists, and the federal government collectively. “We’ve got to know how the restoration is carried out scientifically—trying on the ecological historical past of the positioning and reference ecosystems is essential to search out out the explanations for degradation,” he stated.
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