Saving the ‘Kidneys of our Earth’- Wetlands

‘WETLANDS’: what pops up in your mind when you read this word? Stretches of waterlogged land with knee-high growth of vegetation speckled with bushes? Or water, caged between the dense web of roots of the luscious bottle-green mangroves?

Either way, you’re on the right track. Nope, I’m not going to throw complex definitions and scientific terms at you which you’ll forget even before you finish reading this piece. I know how irritating that gets.

Instead, let me take you on a virtual journey through one of the most thriving and pristine stretches of land in India- the Wetlands. So strap on your belt, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s get going.

At the look of it, these might seem as barren stretches of stinky marshes, but if you look closer, you’ll see it booming with wildlife; beneath the surface of the water, are schools of toddler fish- just hatched, reptiles like snakes are common visitors. You might spot a crocodile even! Above the surface, shorebirds and migrants search for insects, which are in plenty. Don’t be surprised to see large mammals like platypus, hippopotamus, elephants, and tigers even.

A wetland is a unique ecosystem – an area of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally[1], but the depth of water at high tide should be less than 6m.This includes barren salt marshes as well as reefs. If all the world’s wetlands were put together, we would be able to fit the entire United States in it! There are found in all counties and continents, except of course, in Antarctica.[2]

Having learnt what wetlands are, lets come to the contemporary developments!

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the ‘Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance’[3]. This is the only intergovernmental treaty specifically on wetland conservation where countries were given a 3 fold obligation:

- Designate at least one wetland to the List of Wetlands for International Importance.

- Apply the ‘wise use’ concept while managing the wetlands; where the ecological character of the wetland is maintained while allowing for sustainable use for the benefit of people and the environment.

- Engage in international cooperation, and adopt the National Wetland Policies, produce wetland inventories, conduct wetland monitoring and research, raise public awareness of wetlands, and develop integrated management plans for wetlands sites.[4]

On this day, (ie 2nd Feb) last year, a very important institute was inaugurated in India: the Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM).

“The dedicated Centre would address specific research needs and knowledge gaps and will aid in the application of integrated approaches for conservation, management, and wise use of the wetlands.” said Shri Supriyo. [5] Very impressive.

But why do these wetlands need to be conserved?

Wetlands work as critical habitats for many vulnerable and endangered species listed in IUCN Red List (2004). They are refuges for many animals at many stages in their lifecycle and during adverse weather conditions and provide a Habitat for winter and migrant shorebirds.[6] For eg the Etosha pan, a Ramsar site in Namibia is home to several endangered species like the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), the African elephant (Loxodonta African), and then Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). It serves as a breeding ground for waterbirds, including flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber and Phoeniconaias minor).[7]Imagine a loving old grandpa looking out for everyone in difficult times and taking care of little ones. Yes, that’s what wetlands are.

Wetlands are called the ‘Kidneys of the earth’ as they purify water. They do this by decomposing the organic wastes and suspended nutrients, and retaining the inorganic ones.[8]This reduces other environmental problems like dead zones, algal blooms, and fish kills related to nutrient overloading.

They play a very important role in the hydraulic cycle by storing and releasing water. They act as a barrier to floods and prevent the coastlines from getting affected. Along with this, they stop soil erosion and provide food for cattle.

Wetlands are very important for ‘Carbon sequestration’: which is the process of capturing and retaining CO2 captured from the atmosphere. When it’s done by oceanic and coastal systems, the captured carbon is called Blue Carbon. This is done by algae, sea-grasses, salt marshes and mangroves.

Not just from an ecological perspective, but from an economical perspective too, wetlands are a boon. They are a home to many species of medicinal plants, berries, wild rice, timbre, and a variety of fish and shellfish. These high commercial value ecosystems are a support system for the locals too.

So why is conserving wetlands so difficult?

Wetlands are dynamic ecosystem, and occupy a transitional zone between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Hence the data constantly needs to be revised and updated. [9]

Also, some types of wetlands like the ephemeral wetlands are rarely flooded and hence slip through the wetland detection filter- which records surface water. The dense foliage/vegetation might prove to be a hurdle in the detection of the water underneath. On other hand, flooded non-wetland areas like agricultural fields might be mistaken for wetlands.[10]

In Asia, about 5000 km2 of wetlands are vanishing annually due to drainage for agriculture, dam construction, and other uses. There is also a concern that much of the remaining wetland area is degraded, as the result of hydrological alterations, salinization, eutrophication, sedimentation, filling, and exotic species invasions,[11]

We can’t translate the importance of a wetland into statistical figures every time. Many uses and the value of wetlands are not quantifiable. Hence seeing it as a trade-off between ecosystem and development is wrong.

Now let’s zoom in a bit, and focus on India once more.

Under the National wetlands conservation program in 1986, 37 sites were declared as wetlands. Can you guess how many actual wetlands are there in India? 7 LAKH. It’s so ironical, that it’s borderline funny at his point.

In India, no concrete efforts were taken for wetland conservation till 2010. The gap was consequently filled by the courts in cases like People United for Better Living in Calcutta v State of West Bengal and ors.[12], etc.

Wetland (Conservation and Management) rules 2010[13] are being plane to be replaced by the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017[14]. According to the rules,

• Waste disposal by industries in wetlands is prohibited.

• Each state and Union territory must set up an authority to evolve strategies and prepare a list of wetlands in 3 months.

• A Web portal was created for sharing information and documents by state and Centre

• Centre should provide technical assistance to the States.

• States should see to Institutional arrangements, implementation, monitoring compliance, violation of these rules.

So what can we do with all this information? We can brainstorm over how to conserve these precious wetlands more effectively!

These are a few suggestions that I think will help in conserving wetlands, and make the process more efficient.

• There should be a creation and timely update of datasets of wetlands. The information must be accessible and transparent.

• To procure this data, a combination of Artificial I systems and locals should be used.

• The data should be Cross-checked data periodically & monitored.

• The recording of data can be outsourced which will make it easier and lessen the burden on one institute.

What all suggestions do you all have? I’m interested to know :)

By

Megha Phadkay

3rd Year, B.A.LL.B.,

ILS Law College

Citations:

[1] Stuart Buchanan, Helen Lockhart & Devon Bowen, World Wetlands Day: 11 reasons why wetlands are vital for humans and animals, Two Oceans Aquarium, available at https://www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/11-reasons-why-wetlands-are-vital-for-humans-and-animals , Last seen on 29/01/2022 [2] Patricia Mancuso, Why are wetlands so important to preserve, Scientific American, available at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-wetlands-so-important-to-preserve/ , Last seen on 29/01/2022 [3] Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, 1971, Available at https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/current_convention_text_e.pdf , Last seen on 29/01/2022 [4]Daniel O. Suman, Coastal Wetlands, Chp 31, (2nd edition, 2019) [5]https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1694463, Last seen on 29/01/2022 [6]Ainsley Henry, Mona Webber, Wetland and Stream Rapid Assessments, pages 529-538, Chp 5.5, (1st edition, 2018) [7]Ken Fritz,Brad Autrey, Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams, pg 477-507, Chp 5.3, (1st edition, 2017) [8] On World Wetlands Day India gets its first Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management. Press release id:1694463, available at https://www.iasexpress.net/wetland-conservation/, Last seen on 29/01/2022 [9]Phil Benstead, Paul JoseJosé, Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Pgs 805-822,2001 [10]Christian Perennou, Ilse R. Geijzendorffer, Advances in Ecological Research, Chp 6, 2018 [11]E.B. Barbier, Encyclopedia of Energy, Natural Resource, and Environmental Economics, pg127-132, Vol 3, 2013 [12]People United for Better Living in Calcutta v State of West Bengal and ors. ,AIR 1993 Cal 215, Available at https://indiankanoon.org/doc/508234/, Last seen on 29/01/2022 [13]Wetland (conservation and management) rules 2010, Available at https://www.forests.tn.gov.in/tnforest/app/webroot/img/document/legislations/02.%20WETLANDS-RULES-2010.pdf , Last seen on 29/01/2022 [14] Guidelines for implementing Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, available at http://moef.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/final-version-and-printed-wetland-guidelines-rules-2017-03.01.20.pdf , last seen on 29/01/2022