Article:
World Wetlands Day and Its Importance
Every year on the 2nd of February, World Wetlands Day is celebrated to mark the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar on February 2nd, 1971. The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty providing a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The countries with the most Ramsar Sites are the United Kingdom (175) and Mexico (142), according to the Ramsar List. Bolivia has the largest area under the Convention protection, spanning 148,000 sq km.
The 2022 Edition: Key Announcements and Theme
This year, two new Ramsar sites were announced on World Wetlands Day – the Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat and the Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh. Also, the Space Applications Center, one of the major centers of ISRO, prepared the “National Wetland Decadal Change Atlas”, following its original release in 2011. The theme for 2022 was “Wetlands Action for People and Nature”.
What are Wetlands and Why are They Significant?
Wetlands are ecosystems saturated with water, either seasonally or permanently. They include mangroves, marshes, rivers, lakes, deltas, floodplains, flooded forests, rice-fields, coral reefs, marine areas no deeper than 6 meters at low tide, and man-made wetlands such as wastewater treatment ponds and reservoirs. Wetlands are crucial for mitigating floods, protecting coastlines, building community resilience to disasters, absorbing pollutants, and improving water quality. Globally, more than 1 billion people depend on them for a living, and 40% of the world’s species live and breed in wetlands.
Threats to the Wetlands
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has found that wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem globally. They are disappearing three times faster than forests due to human activities and global warming. Major threats include agriculture, development, pollution, and climate change.
Status of Wetlands in India
India has a network of 49 Ramsar sites spanning an area of 1,093,636 hectares, the highest in South Asia. In terms of state-wise distribution of wetlands, Gujarat, with 17.56% of its total geographical area, leads, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
The Implication of Ramsar Listing
A Ramsar listing is an indicator of a high standard in wetland conservation. It obligates the authority to bolster the protection regime and restricts encroachment. Wetlands in India serve as foraging and resting grounds for migratory birds during winter. According to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Central Asian Flyway, which includes 30 countries, supports at least 279 populations of 182 migratory waterbird species, including 29 globally threatened and near-threatened species.
