Many Virtues of Wetlands

Many Virtues of Wetlands

Climate Change estimates for India indicate rising temperatures, sea-level, intensified rainfall and more catastrophic events. Conservation and wise use of wide diversity of inland and coastal wetlands can be a powerful climate change response. However, according to the Global Wetland Outlook by the Ramsar Convention, wetlands - one of the world’s most economically valuable ecosystems and regulators of the global climate, are disappearing three times faster than forests. Yet, while a lot is known about their importance, the utility of wetlands is not fully understood.

What are Wetlands?
 Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. They occur where the water table is at or near the surface of the land, or where the land is covered by water.
 They are the lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic eco-systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water.

Importance of Wetlands:
Sequester Carbon
 Wetlands' microbes, plants and wildlife are part of global cycles for water, nitrogen and sulphur. Wetlands store carbon within their plant communities and soil instead of releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
 Salt marshes and mangrove swamps are known to accumulate soils vertically.
Home to Migratory Birds
 Millions of migratory birds flock to India, and wetlands are critical to this annual phenomenon. Ecologically dependent on wetlands, migratory water birds connect continents, hemispheres, cultures, and societies through their seasonal movements.
 A diversity of wetland communities offers essential stopovers for birds.
They help in fight against Climate Change
 Wetlands assist in stabilising CO2 (Carbon dioxide), CH4 (Methane), N2O (Nitrous oxide) and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) concentrations by minimising climate and land-use-mediated GHG releases and by boosting the potential to actively collect CO2 from the atmosphere and sequester carbon.
 Wetlands also help reduce the risk of disasters such as floods, by protecting coastlines.
Cultural and Tourism Importance
 Wetlands have deep connection with Indian culture and traditions.
 For example, The Loktak Lake in Manipur is revered as ‘Ima’ (Mother) by locals. The North Indian festival of Chhath is one of the most unique expressions of the association of people, culture, water and wetlands.
 The Dal Lake in Kashmir, Nainital Lake in Uttrakhand are popular tourist destinations.
Importance of Peatlands
 The term ‘peatland’ refers to the peat soil and the wetland habitats growing on the surface.
 They account for just 3% of the world’s land surface but store twice as much carbon as forests, thus playing a crucial role in delivering global commitments on the climate crisis, sustainable development, and biodiversity.
 Peatlands are sparse in India and require immediate attention.

Threats to existence of Wetlands:
 Wetlands near urban centres are under increasing developmental pressure for residential, industrial and commercial facilities. Areas surrounded by urbanised wetlands are expected to lead to a coastal squeeze in the face of sea-level rise ultimately leading to wetland loss.
 Climate change and linked drivers and pressures are highly likely to increase vulnerability of wetlands. Increased air temperature, shifts in precipitation, increased frequency of storms, droughts, and floods, increased atmospheric CO2 concentration and sea level rise could also affect wetlands.
 As per the Intergovernmental Science – Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ (IBPES) global assessment, wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem due to human activities and global warming.
 Other threats include Overgrazing, removal of sand from beds, deforestation, pollution, agricultural runoff, domestic waste, industrial effluents etc.

Steps taken by India to protect its Wetlands:
 In India, the wetlands are regulated under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
 The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) supports the implementation of management action plans for over 250 wetlands under schemes such as National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems, Mangroves and Coral Reefs, and Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.
 Under India’s commitment towards Ramsar convention, India has designated 49 Ramsar Sites as of now.

Way Forward:
 India’s emission pledges at the Glasgow Summit include net zero emissions by 2070. We can integrate our domestic wetlands conservation policies with our global goals. As Wetlands are a significant storehouse of blue carbon we may increase efforts to conserve them.
 In order to counter unplanned urbanization and a growing population, management of wetlands has to be an integrated approach in terms of planning, execution and monitoring.
 Spreading awareness by initiating awareness programs about the importance of wetlands and constant monitoring of wetlands for their water quality would provide vital inputs to safeguard the wetlands from further deterioration.