World Wetlands Day: Wetlands for our Future – Sustainable Livelihoods
The
World Wetlands Day was observed on 2
February 2016 across the globe to mark the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in the city of Ramsar in Iran in
1971.
Key facts about the day:
ü World
Wetland Day was celebrated for the first time in 1997.
ü Also
called the Ramsar Convention, the World Wetland Day marks the date of the
signing of the Convention on Wetlands.
ü The
day is observed to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general
of the Ramsar Convention.
ü Theme
of World Wetlands Day this year is “Wetlands
for our Future – Sustainable Livelihoods”. It highlights the
value of wetlands in securing local livelihoods through activities as fishing,
rice farming, tourism, and water provision.
This
year the World Wetlands Day is being celebrated by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
in collaboration with the West Bengal Government at Sunderbans.
Sunderbans are one of the largest single blocks of estuarine
mangrove forests in the world which provides
habitat to numerous plant and animal species including the Royal Bengal Tiger.
What are Wetlands?
ü More
than a billion people make a living from wetlands.
ü Livelihoods
ranging from fishing and rice farming to travel, tourism and water provision
all depend on wetlands.
ü The
extensive food chain and biological diversity in wetlands make them biological
supermarkets. These are valuable as sources, sink and transformers of a
multitude of biological, chemical and genetic material.
ü These
lands have special attributes as cultural heritage of humanity and have deep
connections with our beliefs and practices. They are indeed an important part
of our natural wealth and liquid assets.
Status of wetlands in India and the world:
ü Since
1900, 64 per cent of our wetlands have
disappeared.
ü The
US has lost more than half of its wetlands to drainage and conversion to
farmland.
ü As
per National Wetland Atlas, 15.26
million hectares are under wetlands in India.
ü India
has around 26 wetlands of international
importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation
and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
ü Dal
Lake, Wular Lake, Harike Lake, Sunderban and Chika Lake are a few threatened
wetlands in India.
India’s actions to conserve Wetlands
v The
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change will continue to accord high priority to conservation and
wise use of wetlands in the country.
v The
National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic
Ecosystems (NPCA) provides the policy framework and support to State
Governments for integrated management of wetlands.
v The
State Wetland Authorities are
envisaged to be entrusted the role of management and regulation of wetlands
within their jurisdiction.
v In
a strategic step towards increasing the capacity of wetland managers in
integrated and holistic management, upgrading the existing Wetland Research and
Training Centre of Chilika Development Authority at Barkul, Odisha into the
National Capacity Development Centre for Wetlands is also being envisaged.
v The
Ministry looks forward to working with State Governments, experts, NGOs,
private sector and concerned citizens from all walks of life to secure these
natural resource endowments.