India ushered in World Wetlands Day 2024 with the encouraging news of five more of its wetlands having been added to the global list of Ramsar sites. The news brought good cheer to the country’s wildlife and nature lovers who have been raising their concerns about the need to save our wetlands.
A certificate notifying the inclusion of the five new wetlands was provided to the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 1 Februrary, 2024. Out of the five wetlands added to the Ramsar list this year, Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve, Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve and Aghanashini Estuary are in Karnataka while Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest are in Tamil Nadu.
With these new additions, the total number of Ramsar sites in India has reached 80, with Tamil Nadu leading with 16 sites.
WHAT ARE RAMSAR SITES?
“This declaration of Ramsar sites is a report card of good conservation, both by the government and the local people. Now, the four sites in Karnataka are part of an international network of wetlands, which is important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life,” said Mr. Subhash Malkhede, PCCF & Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka.
For the unversed, Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance. The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, where the treaty was signed on February 2, 1971. Though World Wetlands Day started in 1997, the tradition continues and brings communities together on this day every year for the cause of wetlands preservation and conservation.
On World Wetlands Day 2024, let's celebrate the connection between wetlands and our wellbeing.#WorldWetlandsDay #WWD2024 #WorldWetlandsDay2024 #WetlandsAndHumanWellbeing #MissionLiFE #ProPlanetPeople pic.twitter.com/xputQMzj5x
— MoEF&CC (@moefcc) February 2, 2024
A wetland is a land area that is saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally. Home for many species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals, wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world which include rain forests and coral reefs. Considered to be the Biological Supermarket, wetlands play an important role in protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, storing floodwaters and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods.
RAMSAR SITES OF KARNATAKA
In 2022, the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary received the Ramsar tag, making it Karnataka’s first such protected wetland. As of today, Karnataka has four such sites. Mr. Malakhede said that the Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve attracts a huge number of migratory waterfowl. It is also one of the largest winter grounds for the Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) in Southern India. The Site is accorded with a status of Important Bird Area (IBA) and has been listed as a priority area for conservation in India.
In the interconnected world of wetlands, where nature and human well-being are intertwined, India stands as a testament to the significance of these biodiverse habitats #WorldWetlandsDay #WWD2024 #WorldWetlandsDay2024 #WetlandsAndHumanWellbeing pic.twitter.com/aQnRaaUpb3
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Similarly, Aghanashini is a highly productive and biologically rich waterscape of coastal Karnataka. The Estuary supports livelihood activities including fishing, agriculture, collection of edible bivalves and crabs, shrimp aquaculture, traditional fish farming in the estuarine rice fields (locally known as gazni rice fields), bivalve shell mining, and salt production. Additionally, the mangroves help to protect the shores against storms and cyclones. While, the Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve (ABCR) is an important breeding site for large colonies of nesting waterbirds.
CRITERIA FOR RAMSAR SITES
There are nine criteria for Ramsar sites. The sites should harbour at least 20,000 birds annually (both migratory and resident). It should have critically endangered species and support their lifecycle.
There are criteria related to fish as well. The Tamil Nadu government, which has been a pioneer in wetland conservation and had launched the State Wetland Mission, got its first Ramsar site in 2002. In 2022, another 13 were added, and now, two more have been included in the list.
IFS officer and Member Secretary of Tamil Nadu Wetland Authority, Mr. Deepak Srivastava said, “Our wetlands fulfilled the criteria. We applied for it a year back. After approval from the state and central governments, and around eight rounds of discussions with the competent authority, our sites were included in the latest list. It is a big thing for us.”
