UPSC Express

Wetlands are areas where water is at or near the surface of the land and water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. They include swamps, marshes, lakes, lagoons, saltmarshes, mangroves, bogs, peatlands etc. The destruction of wetlands is a concern because they are some of the most productive habitats on the planet, and provide many ecological services.

Ecological services provided by wetlands:

• They are important sites for biodiversity, conservation of endangered species, and provide habitation to a large number of flora and fauna.
• They help in water storage and purification, ground water replenishment, and are nurseries for freshwater
• .Stabilise climatic conditions as they act as carbon sinks.
• Shoreline stabilization and erosion control, flood control etc.
• Are important for primary products such as agriculture (eg. paddy cultivation), fisheries and forestry.

Wetlands are getting extinct due to manifold reasons, including anthropogenic and natural causes. Burgeoning population, intensified human activities, deforestation, pollution, climate change, salinization, unplanned development, absence of management structure, lack of proper legislation, lack of public awareness about it’s importance, etc are contributing to their decline.

Various steps taken by government to conserve wetlands:

• India is a signatory to RAMSAR convention on wetlands, which promotes designation and conservation of key wetlands.
• The National Wetland Conservation and Management Program for conservation and wise use of wetlands in the country works to prevent their further degradation.
• Wetland (conservation and management) rules, 2010 were notified recently to ensure better conservation and management. New rules were notified in 2017 to ban encroachment of wetlands, and prohibit solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated waste and effluents from industries, cities, towns etc.
• National Lake Conservation Plan to restore and conserve the urban and semi-urban lakes of the country degraded due to waste water into the lake and other unique freshwater ecosystems, through an integrated ecosystem approach.
• National Environment Policy, 2006 recognises the numerous ecological services rendered by wetlands.
• National Centre on Wetlands and Marine biodiversity was set up for specialised studies.

Wetlands are indispensable for countless benefits and ecosystem services they provide. An integrated management plan must be prepared for each wetland. Wetlands Conservation must be taken up at district, State, national, regional, and global levels for the welfare of present and future generations.