Mir Mukhtar Ahmad
The definition of wetlands under the Ramsar Convention includes marshlands, floodplains, rivers and lakes, mangroves, coral reefs, and other marine areas not deeper than 6 m at low tide, as well as man-made wetlands such as waste-water. Treatment ponds and reservoirs are also included in this.
World Wetlands Day
Since the 1960s, the world communities had realized the importance of wetlands and various measures and meetings were taken to protect this ecosystem. Finally, in February 1970, a meeting was held in Ramsar(Iran). The meeting was organized by the efforts of the father of Iran’s environment and the then head of the Environment Organization, Mr. Eskandar Firooz.As a result of this meeting, the world’s oldest environmental protection treaty was ratified and the Ramsar Convention was named in honor of this meeting. The Ramsar Convention is in fact an international treaty that provides a framework and structures for national action and international cooperation to protect and properly use wetlands and their resources.
Currently, 171 countries have acceded to the Ramsar Convention to protect wetlands. Today, 2375 wetlands are known worldwide as Ramsar Wetlands and many efforts are being made to protect them.Iran, as the founder of this international convention, is a member of the Ramsar Convention, and currently 25 of Iran’s wetlands have been registered worldwide.
If we compare the biosphere with the human body, then the “swamp” can be called its kidneys, which perform a storage, biological, geochemical, hydrological, climate and gas control function. Wetland systems are of great importance for maintaining the stability of ecosystems and preserving the biological diversity of the plant species that grow in them. Due to the meeting place of aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity, there is a rich ecosystem of wetland due to the abundance of wildlife species and flora. In today’s modern life, the biggest threat to human life is from climate change and in such a situation it becomes necessary that we conserve our biodiversity. More than 40 percent of species live in wetlands and get nutrition through them.
Wetlands are a good source of water supply and also contribute to the problems of human dehydration by feeding groundwater resources. They also help prevent water pollution by preventing the ingress of saline water as well as removing sediments and toxins.
Coastal wetlands that form along the coast are a great help in preventing coastal erosion. In addition, wetlands are home to a variety of migratory and native birds and have a positive impact on the environment.
In addition, wetlands can be used as a water transport platform or a natural tourist destination for domestic tours or incoming tours.
According to UNESCO, it affects 40% of the world’s flora and wildlife that inhabit or breed in wetlands.
In today’s world, the rapid development is happening, at the same time, the environment is also being harmed. We are running like this in the blind race of development that we can’t even understand our own interests and disadvantages. Development has given us the facilities but is also finding their disadvantages to see in society and in nature. Modern development has caused most damage to our environment and wetlands.
Sewage from factories, mining and over-exploitation of groundwater are some of the human causes that have caused extensive damage to wetlands or wetlands. Along with this, due to natural reasons like rise in sea level, climate change, storm etc., wetlands are also losing their original form. Construction work has been done by filling some small wetlands in Kashmir province.
An international study of aquatic bird sanctuaries found that Lake Wullar had dropped by 45%. Hokarsar has been reduced. Jhelum River, water quality has also declined and the water in aquifers and lakes and waterfalls is becoming polluted day by day. Research has shown that water quality has also declined due to agriculture, tourism and increasing construction.
The sources of fresh drinking water are fast depleting all over the world, due to which there may be a crisis for human life on earth in the near future. Due to urbanization, industrialization, increasing demand for land like roads, railroads, etc., due to the rapid expansion of agriculture, 35% of water sources like lakes, rivers, swamps and creeks have been lost between 1970 and 2015. The water bodies, which are considered very important for the world’s ecosystem, are spread over 12 million square kilometers around the world. However, after 2000, the rate of decrease in their numbers has increased rapidly.Thirty percent of land-based carbon is stored in peatlands; One billion people depend on wetlands for their livelihood; Wetlands contribute $47 trillion annually to essential services.
Wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir
The valley has been bestowed the abundance of freshwater sources from north to south Kashmir and east to west along with its beautiful suuroundings of green mountains. There are thousands of unidentified wetlands located in dimensions of the valley. They give shelter to the thousands of bird species , fish specie and other beneficial organisms. In draught prone areas they act as source of irrigation to the fields, driniking water to the domestic and wild animal and at times extinguishing the fires. These water bodies need to be identified as people are illegally converting these pure water bodies in to other uses, which amounts great loss of these assests. The natural wetlands and lakes that add to the beauty of Jammu and Kashmir have declined by 50%. Natural lakes and wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir have been damaged to an alarming extent due to illegal occupation, pollution and turmoil , according to a recent study. According to the report, there are a total of 3651 small and large wetlands in erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, of which five wetlands are of international repute.
In Jammu province Surinsar and Mansar are internationally recognised Water bodies. People’s interference has eroded the beauty of these precious water bodies including their area. If not watched properly , these may get shrinked. Other Water bodies in the region need to be brought in Ramsar sites, so that important source of livelihood can be protected.
In Srinagar, larger portion of the water bodies and natural lakes have been depleted and the area of water bird sanctuaries in Srinagar city has decreased.
The natural watersheds in the vicinity of Srinagar city, including Dal Lake, Khushalsar, Baba Demb, Shalbug, Anchar, Hokarsar and Narkara watersheds has been converted into residential colonies.
In today’s world, the rapid development is happening, at the same time, the environment is also being harmed. We are running like this in the blind race of development that we can’t even understand our own interests and disadvantages. Development has given us the facilities but is also finding their disadvantages to see in society and in nature. Modern development has caused most damage to our environment and wetlands.
Sewage from factories, mining and over-exploitation of groundwater are some of the human causes that have caused extensive damage to wetlands or wetlands. Along with this, due to natural reasons like rise in sea level, climate change, storm etc., wetlands are also losing their original form. Construction work has been done by filling some small wetlands in Kashmir province state of India.
An international study of aquatic bird sanctuaries found that Lake Wullar had dropped by 45%. Hokarsar has been reduced. Jhelum River, water quality has also declined and the water in aquifers and lakes and waterfalls is becoming polluted day by day. Research has shown that water quality has also declined due to agriculture, tourism and increasing construction.
The sources of fresh drinking water are fast depleting all over the world, due to which there may be a crisis for human life on earth in the near future. Due to urbanization, industrialization, increasing demand for land like roads, railroads, etc., due to the rapid expansion of agriculture, 35% of water sources like lakes, rivers, swamps and creeks have been lost between 1970 and 2015.The water bodies, which are considered very important for the world’s ecosystem, are spread over 12 million square kilometers around the world. However, after 2000, the rate of decrease in their numbers has increased rapidly.
At national level
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has prepared a four-pronged strategy for the restoration of wetlands, which includes: basic data preparation, Wetland health card making,Listing of wet wetlands and preparation of targeted integrated management plans.In the year 2011, the Government of India issued the notification of the Wetlands Protection and Management Act 2010.
90% of the world’s disasters are water-related and it affects 60% of people living in coastal areas due to floods or tsunamis. The wetland acts as a natural and efficient carbon sink. For example, swamp moss covers only 3% of the land, but it has the capacity to absorb twice as much carbon as all the forests in the world. Wetlands act as a buffer against climate-related disasters, thereby avoiding the sudden effects of climate change.
The lotus, which is one of the most beautiful flowers in the world as well as the national flower of India, grows in wetlands. Wetlands provide shelter to many such flora and fauna around them which are helpful in economic development. Wetlands represent a diverse ecosystem.
All the major civilizations of the world have settled near water sources. The livelihood of the people living near the wetlands is largely dependent on them directly or indirectly. Wetlands are the source of firewood, fruits, vegetation, nutritious fodder and herbs for the human settlements around them. Wetlands provide an important range of environmental, social and economic services.
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