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‘Caring for wetlands: an answer to climate change’ was the message for World Wetlands Day this year. It marked the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on February 2, 1971
February 2 is World Wetlands Day and this year’s activities focused on the impact of climate change on wetlands and the role that wetlands play in reducing the effects of climate change. Wetlands today are a threatened ecosystem due chiefly to encroachment by growing populations. Conventions and groups around the world are aware of the crisis that wetlands face and are battling to save the ecosystem. Each year, government agencies, non-government organisations, and groups of citizens do their bit to raise public awareness about wetlands in India and around the world. The Ramsar Convention says: “Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peat land 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 year’s theme, ‘Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change’, with its slogan ‘Caring for wetlands: an answer to climate change’, captures the sense of urgency felt across the world about the need to address the potentially disastrous consequences of global climate change as quickly as possible, particularly in the wake of the Copenhagen meet in December 2009. Wetlands provide livelihoods to local communities; more importantly, the ecosystem services provided by wetlands are of great significance to local communities. Wetlands also host hundreds of species of migratory birds, fish, amphibians, insects, plants and trees. Moreover, they help control floods, stabilise shorelines and mitigate climate change. Of the total 1,712 wetlands declared the world over as protected Ramsar sites, 25 are in India covering around 677,131 hectares and involving 14 states. Six more are in the process of being designated Ramsar sites. The country also has 115 identified wetlands under the National Wetland Conservation and Management Programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which claims they are provided with 100% assistance as well as technical guidance for management interventions. India’s important wetlands include Vembanad Kayal in Kerala and the Jhelum, which is the lifeline of Kashmir. The entire basin is dotted with wetlands ranging from glaciated lakes in the hills to floodplain lakes and marshes in the valley. Among these is the famous Dal lake. Wular lake is part of the Jhelum basin. Once the largest lake in Asia, it has been largely ignored despite its rich biodiversity and significant role in the hydrography of Kashmir. Loktak lake, the largest wetland in India’s northeastern region, was traditionally used for agriculture and fishing. However, so-called ‘development’ has brought about the ecosystem’s degradation. Chilika lake is another important wetland. Less water is now flowing into the lagoon, causing saltwater to intrude and the lagoon mouth to become blocked. Notable wetlands in other parts of the world include the Sunderbans in Bangladesh, the Tubbataha National Marine Park in the Philippines, Brazil’s immense Pantanal wetlands, and the Danube delta in Romania. For more details check the Wetlands International South Asia website http://www.wetlands.org. Source: The Indian Express, February 2, 2010
The Hindu, February 2, 2010
http://whc.unesco.org, February 2, 2010
http://pib.nic.in, February 2, 2010
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