Prof Mohd Junaid Jazib
Wetlands refer to the areas where water turns to be the principal factor controlling the environment and associated floral and faunal life. They generally include swamps, bogs, lakes, lagoons, oases, estuaries, mudflats, flood plains, and similar areas which are either saturated with surface water or inundated with underground water.
Wetlands, cover about six per cent of earth surface. By providing sufficient water and the primary productivity, they sustain and harbor a vast range of biological diversity. Local and regional importance of wetlands is even more pronounced and pivotal from both ecological and socioeconomic viewpoints. Water bodies play central role in local hydrological budget, climatic regulation and in controlling the water linked natural disasters like floods and droughts by absorbing heavy surpluses of water and releasing them when highly needed. In addition the ecosystem services provided by them, local agricultural sector is usually found to be linked with adjoining wetlands in more than one ways. Fishing, tourism, boating, swimming, bird watching, hunting and other similar activities revolving around water bodies provide economic outputs, commercial bases. Besides being home to native fish and other life forms these wetlands serve recreational, training and educational purposes. Large numbers of plant and animal species have adapted to the specific conditions present in wetlands and their survival remains hinged on a good health of the water body. More than three billion people, around half the world’s population, obtain their basic water needs from inland freshwater wetlands. The same number of people relies on rice as their staple food, a crop grown largely in natural and artificial wetlands. In some parts of the world, almost the entire local population relies on wetland cultivation for their livelihoods. In addition to food, wetlands supply fibre, fuel and medicinal plants.
International importance of wetlands gets recognized and reflected in the Rmasar Convention. The intergovernmental agreement adopted on February 2, 1971 for the conservation and wise use of wetlands underscores the need for a major shift in our attitudes towards wetlands. The Convention stresses, in its 2013 report, on the urgency of recognizing their value in delivering water, raw materials and food. They are essential both for life and the sustainability of world’s economies. India having a huge network of wetlands across its length and breadth is one of the signatories to the Ramsar Convention. There are more than 26 Indian water bodies identified as Ramsar sites which are deemed to be of international importance and thus, demand special conservation focus under the Convention. State of Jammu and Kashmir houses considerably good number of small and large water bodies whereof four also figure among Ramsar sites list. Among a total of 1230 lakes/wetlands listed in a recent ENVIS document, 415 lie in Kashmir, 150 in Jammu and 665 in Ladakh. Dal, Wular, Mansar, Surinsar, and Pangong are the only few which attract the attention of majority. Unfortunately most of these water bodies face severe threats of varying nature and extent. If the above cited reference is to be believed, the number stood at 1248 (lakes/wetlands in the state) in 1998. It means we have lost 18 water bodies in a decade or so. As per WWF-India, wetlands are one of the most threatened of all ecosystems in India. Loss of vegetation, illegal encroachments, excessive inundation, land degradation, soil and water pollution, invasive species, excessive development and road building, have all damaged the country’s wetlands. Anthropogenic pressures are on rise everywhere. Many water bodies having significant tourism weightage and international fame have shrunk in size considerably in the recent past. Tourism and settlements in and around waters have damaged them irreparably. Pollutions of various types and degrees have degraded the water quality and scenic splendor of besides staking the life of innumerable floral and faunal beings. At Gharana and Hokarsar wetlands the number of our winged visitors is being reported to have declined due to deteriorating ecosystems. Others have been converted into garbage disposal sites. Many high altitude lakes in the Pir Panjal Himalayan belt seem to disappear even before their proper inventorying. Disturbances in wetland ecosystems will end up not only in water and soil related crises, crop failure or disrupted local socio-economies but in wider ecological disasters. All these unnatural changes as accelerated by human interference in the ecological domain are consequently bound to affect one and all.
Wetland ecosystems need to be conserved for the huge biodiversity they hold, socioeconomic advantages they offer, hydrological role they play, environmental balance they maintain and the ecosystem services they provide. They must be protected from encroachments, invasions, pollution, modifications and excessive human interference. Tourism needs to be fully replaced by the ecotourism. We need to map and adopt a fruitful strategy for conservation of already threatened wetlands.
(The author is HoD Environmental Sciences GDC Thannamandi Rajouri)
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