Ramsar sites: Supporting terrestrial and aquatic species wetlands are of utmost importance to the flora and fauna.
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The Union Ministry of Environment has confirmed the addition of 5 more wetlands in the Ramsar List, increasing the number from 49 to 54. As per the ministry, India has the largest number of wetlands all over Asia. The total number of land designated to wetlands is 1,098, 518 hectares.
The five wetlands recently added include, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove in Tamil Nadu; Pala wetland in Mizoram and Sakhya Sagar in Madhya Pradesh. These meet the international standard of being on the Ramsar list.
Union Minister for Environment, Bhupender Yadav tweeted, “The emphasis PM Shri@narendramodiji has put on environmental protection and conservation has led to a marked improvement in how India treats its wetlands. Delighted to inform that 5 more Indian wetlands have got Ramsar recognition as wetlands of international importance.”
Ramsar sites
The Ramsar Convention:
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty for wetland conservation classifying wetlands to be globally significant.
This treaty was signed in 1971 with an aim to provide safeguards as well as to promote wise use of wetlands. As per the convention the contracting parties identify and classify wetlands on the List of Wetlands of International Importance also known as the Ramsar List.
Wetlands are those areas where the soil is covered with water or can be present near the ground throughout the year. It supports both terrestrial and aquatic species. They vary widely depending on the climate, soil, vegetation, hydrology, chemistry, and human disturbance.
These areas can be found from the tundra to the tropics apart from Antarctica. The water found in the wetland is of two types. It is either brackish, saltwater, or freshwater.
Many wetlands in India have been used as a waste dumping yard which harms them, turning them into a stinking wasteland which has no use. The Pallikaranai, much like Assam’s Deepor beel, was also used as a garbage dump. Sultanpur, also a recent wetland site, is set to have rampant construction on its eco-sensitive zone – but sewage treatments must be kept in mind so that the waste does not seep into the wetlands.
The Ramsar designation should mean that we consider the ecological needs of the wetland as first priority, before planning other low-impact activities and wetland uses.
The Convention has several mechanisms to help signatories like India designate their most significant wetlands and to take the steps necessary to manage them effectively.
The Ramsar website states that the Ramsar sites are incorporated within the list if and when they meet the criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance. As per the website the first criterion refers to sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types, and the other eight cover sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity. These criteria emphasise the importance the convention places on sustaining biodiversity.
For instance, the Pichavaram mangrove, which is one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in India is present amidst estuaries of the Vellar and Coleroon rivers. Moreover, the website states that it has littoral and swamp forest habitats. Offering waterscape and backwater cruises, the mangrove trees here are permanently rooted within a few feet of water.
Pichavaram mangrove is home to several threatened species such as the critically endangered great white-bellied heron, spoon-billed sandpiper, the endangered spotted greenshank and the vulnerable olive ridley turtle.
Similarly, the Pala wetland, is the largest natural wetland of Mizoram. It is over 16 metres deep and the wetland supports a rich diversity of animal species, including at least 7 mammals, 222 birds, 11 amphibians and 21 reptiles. The low-lying marshy areas within the wetland provide excellent habitat for sambar deer, wild pig and barking deer. It’s also a habitat for the endangered Hoolock gibbon and Phayre’s leaf monkey. Pala Wetland is of utmost importance for the indegenous Mara people, according to the Ramsar site.
The promotion and safeguards provided to wetlands is not only the duty of the government but also of the people residing in these areas, because these regions are the silver lining that make us believe that we still have time to save the Earth.
Modernisation, urbanisation, technology and humans have ruined what was bestowed upon us therefore it becomes our liability to save whatever is left of this beautiful gift.
Ramsar sites
