Wetlands as a National Public Good

UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 3- Ecology and environment

Introduction

Wetlands are shared natural systems that support water security, livelihoods, biodiversity, and social wellbeing. In India, wetlands have sustained communities through traditional knowledge that balanced use and conservation. They provide vital ecosystem services but remain under severe pressure due to development, pollution, and weak implementation of existing laws. Recognising wetlands as a national public good is necessary to protect ecological stability and long-term resilience.

Understanding Wetlands

1. Definition and ecological character: Wetlands are areas where water is the main factor shaping the environment and associated plant and animal life. They include freshwater, coastal, urban, riparian, natural, and high-altitude systems.
2. Wetlands as productive and multiple-use ecosystems: Wetlands are among the most productive environments. They provide food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control, climate regulation, and support agriculture, fishing, drinking water, livelihoods, and biodiversity, which makes them valuable but vulnerable.
3. Traditional wetland management: Community-based systems managed water flow and storage for irrigation, drinking water, rituals, and festivals. Shallow wells in Wayanad, built over 200 years ago, and tank systems in southern India supported sustainable use.
4. Cultural and social significance: Wetlands function as ecology and economy, habitat and heritage. They are essential to social wellbeing and community identity across regions.

Status and Threats to Wetlands in India

1. Scale of wetland loss: Nearly 40% of India’s wetlands have disappeared over the last three decades. Around 50% of the remaining wetlands show signs of ecological degradation.
2. Encroachment and land conversion: Natural wetlands have been replaced by infrastructure, real estate, and road networks. Altered catchments and mismatches between cadastral maps and ground reality worsen protection efforts.
3. Hydrological disruption: Wetlands depend on timing and flow of water. Dams, embankments, channelisation, sand mining, and groundwater over-extraction disrupt these flows and damage wetland character.
4. Pressure on riparian and urban wetlands: Floodplains are treated as spare land rather than active river space. Urban wetlands are burdened with flood control, storm runoff, and sewage inflows, often without legal buffers.
5. Pollution and ecological collapse: Untreated sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, and solid waste cause eutrophication. Biodiversity declines along with flood buffering and water purification capacity.
6. Coastal and climate-related stress: Sea-level rise, cyclones, and shoreline change combine with ports, tourism, aquaculture, and settlement growth. Mangroves and lagoons face pressure from both landward development and rising seas.
7. Institutional capacity gaps: State wetland authorities are understaffed and underfunded. Skill gaps in hydrology, ecology, GIS, legal enforcement, and community engagement weaken management.

Policy and Institutional Framework for Wetland Conservation

1. Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017: The rules provide a legal framework for identifying, notifying, and regulating activities in wetlands. Their strength depends on proper demarcation and enforcement.
2. National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA): Updated NPCA guidelines promote structured planning, monitoring, and outcome-oriented management. They support science-based and monitorable wetland restoration.
3. Coastal Regulation Zone framework: CRZ aims to protect the ecological integrity of coastal wetlands. Effective enforcement is critical in areas facing development pressure.
4. Ramsar Convention and international commitments: The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 and in force in India since February 1, 1982, promotes wise use of wetlands. Over 170 countries are parties, with more than 2,400 Ramsar sites covering over 2.5 million square kilometres.
5. Ramsar sites in India: India has 98 Ramsar sites, the highest number in South Asia. These sites represent commitments to conservation and monitoring, not symbolic recognition.
6. Montreux Record: The Montreux Record tracks Ramsar sites facing ecological change. Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan and Loktak Lake in Manipur are listed from India.
7. Role of institutions and partnerships: Site-based initiatives involving State governments, local communities, and institutions such as the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation support mapping, participatory planning, and livelihood-linked conservation.

Way Forward

1. Shift in governance approach: Wetland management must move from short-term projects to long-term programmes. Focus should shift from beautification to ecological functionality and from silos to watershed-scale governance.
2. Notification and boundary protection: Clear notification, demarcation, public maps, grievance redress, and participatory ground-truthing are essential for effective protection under the 2017 Rules.
3. Wastewater management: Urban and peri-urban wetlands must receive treated inflows. Wetlands cannot replace sewage treatment plants, though constructed wetlands can support treatment.
4. Catchment and hydrological connectivity: Wetlands should be managed as basin systems. Feeder channels must be restored, blockages removed, solid waste dumping stopped, and extraction regulated.
5. Wetlands in disaster risk reduction: Mangroves, floodplains, mudflats, and urban wetlands act as natural buffers. They should receive investment comparable to built infrastructure.
6. Livelihood-sensitive coastal protection: CRZ enforcement should protect ecological no-go areas while supporting coastal livelihoods.
7. Capacity building and performance: A national capacity mission is needed with accredited training and measurable performance indicators. NPCA investments should link conservation outcomes with livelihood benefits.
8. Technology and community stewardship: Satellite data, drones, and time-series analytics improve monitoring. Traditional knowledge should guide restoration and compliance when treated as evidence.

Conclusion

Wetlands sustain water, livelihoods, and ecological stability across India. Their decline shows a gap between strong policies and weak implementation. Treating wetlands as shared public assets requires coordinated action, better planning, and sustained monitoring. When science-based management works alongside community stewardship and traditional knowledge, wetlands can function as living ecosystems that strengthen environmental resilience and long-term water security..

Question for practice:

Examine how wetlands function as a national public good in India and analyse the key threats, policy responses, and measures needed for their effective conservation.

Source: Hindu