Wetland conservation; a way forward to ensure economic prosperity

International Wetland Day- 2 February special

Wetland Conservation; A Way forward to ensure Economic ProsperityKanwar Tal Wetland,Begusarai

Bihar

Kumar Deepak(Environmentalist)

Today is International Wetland Day. This article is not to criticize the failure of the State in setting up sustainable wetland governance but it is the right time to understand the economy of the Wetland Ecosystem. The Kanwar Lake has failed to be listed under the Ramsar Convention in 2002 despite of being a proposal pending before the certifying committee to issue the notifications for designation of the Kanwar Lake as “Wetland of International Importance” since 1987. Kanwar Lake is situated 22 kms North-East of Begusarai District. It is the largest fresh water Ox-Bow lake, an estuarine of the stream of River Budhi Gandak.

Wetland Ecosystem is considered to be one of the most productive ecosystems of the world. Kanwar Lake had a vast area of around 7400 Hectare initially but it has continuously been shrinking since last two decades due to a rising ignorance about the great benefit of accessible ecosystem services. We have so far ignored the potential economic & ecological benefits of the wetland especially to the people of surrounding habitat. Kanwar Lake is the waterlogged asset for the

rural habitat around this wetland ecosystem.

This wetland is providing some major tangible or direct services to the locals, inter alia, include production of food like fishes, paddy, fruits, rhizomes; a major water supply & storage for the domestic, Industrial & agricultural purposes; the biggest provider of food, fodder, fibre & fuel (wood); supply of plants with diverse medicinal qualities; genetic materials for the variety of uses. Kanwar Lake is providing some major intangible or indirect services such as local climate regulation; a main carbon sink system for the Green House Gases; water cycle regulator including under-ground water level & their discharge as well as recharge; mitigating the impact of natural disasters like flood & storm; erosion regulator & soil formation; a water purifier & waste treatment. Kanwar Lake is offering some major habitat services such assisting favorable habitat for the flora & fauna, nutrient cycling, seed dispersal; primary production. This wetland site has some significant cultural values include spiritual needs of some people & recreational, aesthetics & educational facilities.

The State policy makers should know the huge monitory value of the Kanwar Lake Wetland habitat. The Economics of Ecosystem & its Biodiversity (TEEBS),a renowned functionary of the United Nations Environment Programme assessed the monitory value of the Kanwar Lake Wetland at INR 22,24,350 Per Hectare ( 1 USD = 50INR) in 2012. Therefore the gross monitory value of the Kanwar Lake is around INR 15.12 Billion. Kanwar Lake acts as an ideal aquifer to provide fresh under-ground drinking water with no content of Arsenic, Mercury, Lead, Iron, Fluorine etc. The Biggest characteristic of the Wetland is to act as a Mass Water Purifier.

Kanwar Lake should be developed into one of the Global Eco-tourism destination of the State of Bihar. It’s been becoming a substance of research to assess “The Economics of Wetland Ecosystem & its Biodiversity”. The basic principle of wetland conservation is that it should be utilized for the benefit of the people without compromising the biodiversity values in a sustainable way. If the Wise-Use Principle along with the ecosystem services values of the wetlands is accepted by policy makers & planners, much of the conflicts with conservations would become non-existent.

This is the responsibility of the local people those are the potential beneficiaries of the economic & ecological values of the Wetland habitat to protect & conserve it. The State Government should work on a Proper Management Action Plan include; Demarcation of Boundary; Construction of Embankments to prevent further encroachment; Dredging of silted areas; Carrying forward the scientific research on contour mapping Plan, Catchment Areas Upgradation Plan, water quality as well as floral & fauna studies. It’s an urgent time to address the comprehensive plan structure to rejuvenate the Kanwar Lake. We must have to assess the socio-economic significance of the economics of the wetland ecosystem & its bio-diversity. There is an urgent need to introduce diverse applied awareness methodologies to understand the potential economic & ecological benefits.

Bureaucrats, planners & developers have so far been overlooking or deliberately neglecting the fact that the depletion of the wetland habitat affects the people around the peripheral areas especially the poor for whom the wetlands are the resource base for sustenance.

Being an Important Bird Areas/IBA, this is a habitat of over 100 resident bird species & around 60 migratory bird species. This Kanwar Lake Ecosystem & its Biodiversity is vulnerable to the heavy runoff water influx with pesticides, fertilizers & other chemicals from the agricultural activities, leading to severe eutrophication & heavy growth of weeds make it an adverse ecology for the fauna include fishes & others. Wetland deterioration is the biggest ever ecological disaster in our contemporary world. The poorest of the poor access the largest economic benefit sharing include fisheries occupation, rice cultivation, medicinal plant explorations etc.

Department of Environment & Forest should take immediate measures to reclaim the wetland. It is the right time to ensure the conservation & protection of such significant water-logged habitations. Wetlands are the life line ecosystem for the marginalized & poorer. We need to establish a Wetland Governance to deal with sustainable long term management of such potential economic & ecological resources. Such centre of wider ecological relevance can be developed into an important eco-tourism destination. There are significant possibilities involving researchers & environmentalists to work upon developing a structure to assess the economics of ecosystem & its biodiversity. It is the need of time to introduce special chapters in our environmental sciences syllabi dealing with the importance of wetlands in our day to day life. Special seminars & awareness campaign should be organized with a prior objective to understand the high economic significance of such waterlogged ecology. It is a long term ecological dividend to the extremely marginalized section of society. Let us join hands to preserve the wetland ecology.