"A wetland is a lovely place,
secret, fertile, full of life,
it has a very special grace
where birth and death are free and rife"
-Gorden J.L. Ramel
Before rolling our eyes into splendid wetlands, staring and stretching our thoughts into the destruction of wetlands we should know about this lifeline of nature; THE WETLANDS.
What is a wetland?
Wetlands are distinct areas where land is flooded by water which can be saltwater, freshwater or somewhere between them. Here, water is the primary element controlling environment and associated flora and fauna. Wetlands can be seasonal or permanent and are generally formed at the edge of a lake or ocean, the deltas and low-lying areas that are frequently flooded. Examples of wetlands in India includes Chilika Lake(Orissa), Keoladeo National Park(Rajasthan), Sambhar Lake(Rajasthan), Loktak Lake(Manipur) , Deepor Beel(Assam) and many more.
There are different types of wetlands;
Marsh
A marsh is always covered with water. These areas support soft-stemmed plants which grow out of the water.
Swamp
A swamp mainly constitutes woody plants. The soil remain saturated only during the growing season while one can witness only standing water other times of the year.
Bog
Unlike other wetlands, bogs are fed by precipitation rather than from surface run-off or groundwater. They have very acidic water which can’t support plant growth and have spongy, peat-moss deposits.
Fen
Fens are also known as peatlands and receive most of it’s water from groundwater and thus are less acidic and more nutrient-rich. They constitute sedges, grasses and rushes. Over time, the peat builds up and thus when you’ll walk on them it feels bouncy.
Why do we need them?
Wetlands are one of the most productive habitats on the earth and provide a wide range of ecosystem services, thus their destruction is a matter of concern. Their lasting functioning in various aspects makes it crucial, for instance;
Biodiversity hotspots:
Wetlands have a unique location between water and land and provide shelter to many threatened and endangered species. They support many animals and birds and thus act as nurseries for such species. It’s also a suitable place for fish harvesting.
Flood Control:
Wetlands act somewhat like a sponge barrier that soaks up water that comes from tides or periodically flooding rivers
Natural Filters:
It has been reported that wetlands act as a pollution filter. They clean up the fertilizes and pesticides. It has been reported wetlands show significant reduced levels of nitrates, phosphorus, and heavy metals.
Storm Buffers:
Wetlands act as a barrier to wind and tides and thus can be a shock absorbers for storms in a particular area and palliate the aftereffects of the same.
Carbon Sink:
The soils of wetlands has been reported to store carbon for many years, thus play an significant role in tackling climate change.
Cultivation:
Wetlands support the cultivation of rice, a staple food consumed by almost half of the world’s population.
Are they shrinking?
YES!!! India has lost more than 38 percent of the wetlands in the last decade; the rate of loss has been as high as 88 percent in certain districts. Development priorities in urban areas have ignored the utility of these valuable waterbodies, resulting in issue of shrinking wetlands. These wetlands are converted for industrial, agricultural and residential uses. Increased urbanization is impact the rate of destruction and is alarming! Two major urban anthropogenic activities that fasten the destruction are pollution and encroachment.
Pollution
An explosive increase in urban population has occurred without a corresponding expansion of civic facilities such as adequate infrastructure for the disposal of waste. As a result, almost all urban waterbodies in India are used for disposing untreated local sewage and solid wastes, resulting in deterioration in the quality of water.
Encroachment
As more and more people are migrating to urban areas, the availability of land is becoming scarce. Hence, these urban waterbodies are no longer recognized for their ecosystem services but as real estate. Both for governments and the private builders, these waterbodies are extremely valuable areas for encroachment. It is disheartening to note that the 26 sites designated as wetlands of international importance in India are plagued by uncontrolled development and illegal encroachment. They include the largest and well known lakes-the freshwater Wular lake in Kashmir, the salt water Sambar lake in Rajasthan and the brackish water Chilika lake in Odisha. Each of them is rapidly shrinking . Pulicat lake, India’s second largest lagoon bordering Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, is threatened by the Dugarajapatnam port project. Kolleru lake, the second largest freshwater lake located in Andhra Pradesh, faces massive anthropogenic pressure. Almost 90 percent of the lake-bed has been covered by fish tanks, that have turned into a drain . The Vembanad lake, in Kerala, famous for the annual snake boat race is facing the threat of land-use changes and waste dumping.
Ramsar convention; voice to gather
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance holds the unique distinction of being the first modern treaty between nations aimed at conserving natural resources. It is an intergovernmental treaty adopted on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. Although the name of the Convention is written “Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971)”, it has come to be popularly known as the “Ramsar Convention”. It was originally signed by seven countries when it came into force on December 21, 1975. As of October 2019, there are 171 ratifying parties.
The official name of the treaty is 'The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat,' which reflects the original emphasis upon the conservation and wise use of wetlands primarily as habitat for water birds. Over the years, the Convention has broadened its scope of implementation to cover all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use. Though the idea is the need for the sustainable use of all wetlands, the “flagship project” of the Convention is the List of Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”). Presently, the Parties have designated for this List more than 2,400 wetlands for special protection as “Ramsar Sites”, covering over 2.5 million square kilometers of land.
The Ramsar Convention encourages the designation of sites containing representative, rare or unique wetlands, or wetlands that are important for conserving biological diversity. Ramsar sites are designated by the National Administrative Authority, responsible for the Ramsar Convention in each country, if they meet technical criteria, and after due consideration of their relative importance. Once designated, these sites are added to the Convention's List of Wetlands of International Importance and become known as Ramsar sites. In designating a wetland as a Ramsar site, countries agree to establish and oversee a management framework aimed at conserving the wetland and ensuring its wise use. India signed Ramsar Convention on February 1, 1982. There are 42 Ramsar Sites in India of which Chilika Lake (Orissa) is the largest. The convention was an organized development over the skeleton and ongoing of conservation of wetlands.
World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year on February 2. It is an occasion to commemorate the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance ( Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar on February 2, 1971. Since 1997.The day and its observation reverberates the idea and need to;
• Raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits
• Promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The theme for World Wetlands Day 2021 is “Wetlands and Water: Inseparable and vital for life”. It draws our attention towards our wetlands as a source of freshwater and encourages actions towards their restoration and conservation against shrinking.
What we can do?
It is our responsibility to protect the lifeline of nature and this ecologically rich resource from increasing exploitation. Here comes few arenas where focus should be firm.
Maintain a buffer strip of native plants along the streams and wetlands.
A buffer will stabilize the streambank , prevent erosion, and improve the health of the wetlands . Native plants are also more resistant to diseases, which means you don’t need to use pesticides or fertilizers to help them thrive.
Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly
Speaking of lawn care aids, try to avoid them whenever possible. The chemical content can harm wildlife and aquatic life and negatively impact water quality especially downstream.
Avoid non-native and invasive species of plants.
Non-native plants have had a devastating effect on wetlands worldwide. They quickly become invasive, choking out the native species and altering the way the wetlands function. If you see non-native plants moving in, remove them immediately.
Avoid storm water run-off and don’t pollute.
Wetlands need plenty of water to thrive, and much of that is supplied by storm water -especially in urban areas. If you live near or on wetlands, your storm water feeds into it. This is why it’s so important to keep storm water clean.
Keep pets under control.
That said, animals can wreak havoc on wetlands and the wildlife populations that live there. The only way to keep all lives-animals and otherwise -safe is to make sure dogs and cats don’t have access to wetlands.
"Humans are an infant species, a mere 150,000 years old. But, armed with a massive brain, we've not only survived, we've used our wits to adapt to and flourish in habitats as varied as deserts, Arctic tundra, tropical rainforests, wetlands and high mountain ranges", remarked by David Suzuki that echoes the fact that if we can destruct and can conserve it lets go for latter.
Article by: Malavika A.M, Shreya Pandey & Navpreet Kaur
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