Policy Update
Sanju Joshi
Wetlands are a unique and productive ecosystem where terrestrial and aquatic habitats meet. They are described as the transitional land between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems where the surface is covered with shallow water. Wetlands cover 6% of Earth’s land surface and are home to some of the richest, most diverse, and most fragile natural resources.
Wetlands support a wide range of ecosystems and biodiversity and play a critical role in maintaining the natural cycle. They are one of the most significant natural habitats on the earth, responsible for regulating water quantity, groundwater recharge, contributing to the regulation of floods and droughts, and also neutralizing the waste brought by rivers; hence, they are called the ‘Kidney of the Earth.’
They are also one of the top carbon stores, and their conservation can help in reducing global warming. However, urbanization, agriculture, and pollution continue to threaten the existence of these habitats, to which India has already lost one-third of its natural wetlands. As the threat continues to persist, wetland conservation is more of a necessity than a choice.
Ecological Importance of Wetland
- Biodiversity Hotspot: Wetlands are a major biodiversity hotspot for various species, including birds, plants, fish, amphibians, and many other animals. Wetland supports the life of over 14,000 identified species and 55% of the fish on the earth. Some wetlands support unique and endemic species found nowhere else on earth. Coastal wetlands like mangroves and coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, supporting a vast array of marine life.
- Natural water filter and carbon sinks: Wetlands trap sediments typically carried by runoff from agricultural lands carrying various pollutants, pesticides, solid waste, chemicals, etc. Wetlands can also effectively trap excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, therefore improving the water quality.
Apart from being natural filters, wetlands are also perfect natural carbon sinks. They lock a major proportion of carbon, playing a vital role in regulating the planet’s climate. Peatlands, a type of wetland, despite covering 3% of the land area of the earth, store twice as much carbon as the world’s forests combined.
- Livelihood: Wetlands provide fertile alluvial soil, rich in nutrients and organic matter that supports the agricultural sector. Wetlands are also useful for groundwater recharge that ensures water availability during the dry season. Besides agriculture, wetlands also support a variety of livelihoods. While fisheries are obvious beneficiaries of wetlands, wetlands also support handicrafts and tourism. Plants like reeds and papyrus from wetlands are used to create baskets, mats, and other traditional crafts, providing income for local artisans. Additionally, wetlands attract a wide range of ecotourism, including bird watchers, photographers, and wildlife enthusiasts, hence promoting tourism and local businesses.
Threats to Wetlands:
About 40% of the world’s species are somewhat reliant on wetlands; however, the loss of these habitats is forcing various species to the brink of extinction. Since the 1970s, over one-third of the world’s wetlands have disappeared, resulting in an overall decline of 83% of freshwater species worldwide, highlighting the seriousness of the issue. The major threats to the existence of wetlands are
- Unsustainable Development:
Unsustainable development, marked by unplanned urban expansion, migration, industrial growth, and infrastructural growth, has impacted nature’s growth cycle. Economic growth has compromised sustainability, resulting in reduced biodiversity and disrupted water cycles. Wetlands, being sensitive habitats, have taken a direct hit from the trend of unsustainable development.
- Pollution and Climate Change: Wetlands are highly sensitive to pollution accompanied by climate change. Urban development over the past few decades has significantly increased the pollution level, which further causes climate change and environmental degradation. 80% of global wastewater is released into wetlands untreated. Pollution from factories, pesticides, and chemicals all pose a serious threat to wetlands.
With increasing pollution, climatic changes have become a common problem. Climate change disrupts ecosystems through rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and rising sea levels. Coastal wetlands like mangroves and salt marshes face submersion, while inland wetlands may dry up or flood unpredictably.
These challenges together threaten not only wetlands but also the livelihood of the communities dependent on them while bringing various species to the brink of extinction.
Global Conservation Efforts:
Conserving wetlands is essential for maintaining ecological balance, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable livelihood. Conservation of these habitats requires constant policy efforts, community participation, restoration efforts, and sustainable land use planning.
- Ramsar Convention: The Convention on Wetlands was the first modern agreement on an international level concerning wetlands. The signing of the convention took place in 1971 in a small Iranian town called Ramsar and came into effect in 1975. Since then, the treaty has been known as the Ramsar Convention. The convention advocates wise use of wetlands, promoting sustainable practices that promote ecological balance. The Ramsar Convention identifies major wetlands as Ramsar sites and protects them under the guidelines of the treaty. There are currently around 2500 Ramsar sites around the world covering over 2.5 million square kilometers.
- India and the Ramsar Convention: India signed the Ramsar Convention in 1982 and since then has become a member. Currently there are 89 identified Ramsar sites in India, including Chilika Lake (Odisha), Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), and Loktak Lake (Manipur). India has focused on wetland mapping, restoration, and community-based conservation, aligning with Ramsar’s objectives.
- Role of WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature): WWF, along with other organizations of the world, has put continuous efforts into protecting the wetlands for 40 years under the guidelines of the Ramsar Convention. WWF works toward the cause of climate change and its potential impact on wetlands. They usually work with local communities to grasp the closest climatic responses and form policies accordingly. In January 2022, WWF introduced the initiative Mangroves for Communities and Climate, which aims to protect and manage the mangroves in four countries: Mexico, Fiji, Madagascar, and Colombia. WWF majorly works for environmental causes, considering every aspect of the problem, and suggests nature-based solutions.
- Amrit Dharohar Scheme: The scheme was launched under union budget 2023-2024, aims to preserve the Ramsar declared sites in India and utilize them efficiently to generate livelihood. The scheme implementation strategy was centered around four major components; that are species and habitat conservation, nature tourism, wetlands livelihood and wetlands carbon assessment. The scheme will be implemented over a period of 3 years, from its launch in 2023 to 2026.
- Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules: Launched in 2017, it aimed to protect and manage India’s wetlands by shifting focus from a central authority to state-level bodies. New committees were formed at state level in advisory roles for conservation and improvement of national wetlands.
Conservation Measures:
- Global wetland sites must be regularly monitored, and environmental conditions around them must be controlled accordingly.
- Evaluation and assessment of the economic value wetlands provide to signify their importance.
- Development project plans must be assessed properly, considering their impact on the environment, wetlands, and other water bodies.
- Wetlands should be declared as a separate land use category, and no conversions of wetlands must be allowed for any other use.
- Valuation of local communities’ economic profit from wetlands must be calculated to assess their importance in their livelihood.
- Projects affecting rivers explicitly or implicitly must account for downstream impacts on wetlands and must be fined and managed accordingly.
Conclusion:
Wetlands are among the most productive and valuable ecosystems on earth, providing us with various significant resources. From filtering water to controlling floods to providing support and nourishment to the agricultural sector, wetlands play a significant role in ecosystems. However, they continue to be threatened due to climatic changes, pollution, and unprecedented growth of technological advancement. Despite government efforts and policy framework, effective reinforcement remains inconsistent, failing to attain desirable output.
However, the failure does not suggest that governments and organizations around the world have given up. As of early 2025, India has confirmed 85 Ramsar sites, with the latest additions in Sikkim and Jharkhand.
The Space Applications Centre (SAC) of India released a high-resolution Wetland Atlas in 2024 that significantly improves the management and monitoring of the areas. Many more policies, such as the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) and the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, have been introduced for the management and conservation of wetlands. And the government around the world continues to make efforts in aligning the economic aspirations of the world with environmental sustainability.
Reference:
- Singh, S. G., Basudha, C., Das, S. K., Bharti, V. S., Devi, N. P., Bidyasagar, S., Meitei, W. A., & Sharma, P. M. (June, 2023). Wetlands: Importance and conservation strategy for the loosing ecosystem. Agri-India Today https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372891533_WETLANDS_IMPORTANCE_AND_CONSERVATION_STRATEGY_FOR_THE_LOOSING_ECOSYSTEM
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. (n.d.). Threats to wetlands. WWT.https://www.wwt.org.uk/our-work/threats-to-wetlands
- Contreras MacBeath, T. (2020, January). Wetlands: the ultimate biodiversity hotspot. IUCN Crossroads Blog.https://iucn.org/crossroads-blog/202001/wetlands-ultimate-biodiversity-hotspot
- Ramsar Convention Secretariat. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.https://www.ramsar.org
- Mitchell, M. (2022, January 31). The world’s natural filter: Wetlands. Natural Habitat Adventures.
About the Contributor: Sanju is a research intern at IMPRI, pursuing economics honors from Delhi University.
Acknowledgement: The author would like to thank Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja for supporting and reviewing the article.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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