Wetlands are disappearing and need urgent protection

Source: The post Wetlands are disappearing and need urgent protection has been created, based on the article “The necessity of mainstreaming wetland conservation” published in “The Hindu” on 1st March 2025.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3-Environment- Conservation

Context: The article discusses the importance of wetlands and their conservation. It highlights global and Indian wetland loss due to urbanization, climate change, and pollution. It stresses better management, stronger policies, and integrating wetlands into development plans for sustainability and climate change mitigation.

For detailed information on What are Ramsar Sites, and what is the significance of this listing? read this article here

What Is the Global Importance of Wetlands?

1. Vital Ecosystems: Wetlands cover 6% of the Earth’s surface but provide 40.6% of global ecosystem services.
2. Biodiversity Hotspots: Since 1970, 81% of inland wetland species and 36% of coastal species have declined.
3. Rapid Decline: Wetland surface area decreased 35% between 1970 and 2015.
4. Climate Mitigation: Wetlands store carbon and help regulate climate change.
5. Economic Loss: In Cali, Colombia, wetland degradation caused a loss of $76,827 per hectare annually in urban areas.
6. The COP14 meeting (2022) stressed linking wetland conservation with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

What Are the Major Threats to Wetlands?

Wetlands face serious threats from urbanization, industrialization, and climate change.

1. Global Loss: Since 1900, 50% of wetlands have disappeared. Between 1970 and 2015, wetland surface area declined by 35%. The Wetland Extent Trends (WET) index shows a loss of 0.78% per year.
2. Loss of Species: Since 1970, 81% of inland wetland species and 36% of coastal and marine species have declined.

What Is the Situation of Wetlands in India?

1. India is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention. By 2023, India had 75 Ramsar sites covering 1.33 million hectares, which is only 8% of India’s 15.98 million hectares of mapped wetlands.
2. Types of Wetlands: India has 66.6% natural wetlands (43.9% inland, 22.7% coastal).
3. Wetland Loss in India:

• 30% of natural wetlands lost in four decades (WISA study).
• Mumbai lost 71% of its wetlands (1970–2014).
• East Kolkata Wetlands shrank by 36% (1991–2021).
• Chennai lost 85% of its wetlands (WWF study).

What Needs to Be Done?

1. India’s wetland conservation efforts focus on ecology but ignore land use changes, human impact, and governance issues.
2. Wetlands also store and release carbon, so their role in climate change mitigation must be studied.
3. Wetland conservation should be part of urban planning, economic policies, and climate strategies.
4. The Ramsar COP14suggested an ecosystem-based approach to integrate wetlands into development plans.

Question for practice;

Examine the major threats to wetlands and their impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services.