RAMSAR SITES IN INDIA

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance adopted at Ramsar, Iran in Feb. 1971, popularly known as Ramsar Convention, aims to preserve and protect wetland ecosystems together with dependent water bird species and make the wise use of wetlands for the benefit of people.

Wetlands cover 3 % of the Indian landmass and harbor a vast variety of life forms that are a part of the complex food of these transitional ecosystems. About 320 species of birds are associated with the Indian Wetlands. Apart from birds, the wetlands support a diverse population of plants & animals including 150 species of amphibians.

Since signing this convention in 1982, India has till date designated 19 wetlands as Ramsar sites. Some of these sites are:

Bhoj Wetland

Included on 19/08/02. in Madhya Pradesh. is two contiguous human made reservoirs the "Upper Lake" was created in the 11th century by construction of an earthen dam across the Kolans River, and the lower was constructed nearly 200 years ago, largely from leakage from the Upper, and is surrounded by the city of Bhopal. The lakes are very rich in biodiversity, particularly for macrophytes, phytoplankton, zooplankton, both natural and cultured fish species, both resident and migratory birds, insects, and reptiles and amphibians. A number of bird species have been sighted which had rarely or never before been seen in the region since last couple of years.

Kanjli Lake

Included on 22/01/02 in Punjab is a permanent stream, the Kali Bein, converted by construction of a small barrage in 1870 into a water storage area for irrigation purposes. The site fulfils Criteria 3 because of its importance in supporting a considerable diversity of aquatic, mesophytic, and terrestrial flora and fauna in the biogeographical region, and acts also as a key regulator of groundwater discharge and recharge with the seasons. By this means and by direct abstraction of water for irrigation by the local population, the site plays a crucial role in the agriculture which predominates on the surrounding fertile plain, with fewer pressures upon water supplies than elsewhere in the Punjab.

Harike Wetland

Included on 23/03/90 in Punjab is a shallow water reservoir with thirteen islands, at the confluence of two rivers. Dense floating vegetation covers 70% of the lake. An important site for breeding, wintering and staging birds, supporting over 200,000 Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans, etc.) during migration.

Ashtamudi Lake

Included on 19/08/02 is an extensive estuarine system, the second largest in Kerala State, which is of extraordinary importance for its hydrological functions, its biodiversity, and its support for fish. The site supports a number of mangrove species as well as over 40 associated plant species, and 57 species of birds have been observed, including six that are migratory. Nearly 100 species of fish are to be found in this area.

Deeper Beel

Included on 19/08/02 in Assam.is a permanent freshwater lake in a former channel of the Brahmaputra river, of great biological importance and also essential as the only major storm water storage basin for the city of Guwahati. The beel is a staging site on migratory flyways and some of the largest concentrations of aquatic birds in Assam can be seen, especially in winter. Some globally threatened birds are supported, including Spotbilled Pelican (Pelicanus philippensis), Lesser and Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus and dubius), and Baer's Pochard (Aythya baeri).

Chilka Lake

Included on 01/10/81 in Orissa is a brackish lake separated from the Bay of Bengal by a long sandy ridge and subject to sea water exchange, resulting in extreme seasonal fluctuations in salinity in different sections of the lake. Saline areas support aquatic algae. The site is an important area for breeding, wintering and staging for 33 species of waterbirds. It also supports 118 species of fish, including commercially important species.

Kolleru Lake

Included on 19/08/02 in Andhra Pradesh is a natural eutrophic lake, situated between the two major river basins of the Godavari and the Krishna, fed by two seasonal rivers and a number of drains and channels, which functions as a natural flood balancing reservoir between the deltas of the two rivers. It provides habitat for a number of resident and migratory birds, including declining numbers of the vulnerable Grey Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), and sustains both culture and capture fisheries, agriculture and related occupations of the people in the area.

Chitals in Keoladeo Park

Keoladeo National Park

Included on 01/10/81 in Rajasthan is a World Heritage Site and has a complex of ten artificial, seasonal lagoons, varying in size, situated in a densely populated region. Vegetation is a mosaic of scrub and open grassland that provides habitat for breeding, wintering and staging migratory birds. Also supported are five species of ungulates, four species of cats, and two species of primates, as well as diverse plants, fish and reptiles. The canal provides water for agriculture and domestic consumption. Cattle and water buffalo graze on the site.

Bhitarkanika Mangroves

Bhitarkanika wetland (Odisha)

Included on 19/08/02 in Orissa. is one of the finest remaining patches of mangrove forests along the Indian coast 25 years of continued conservation measures have made the site one of the best known wildlife sanctuaries. The site's Gahirmatha beach is said to host the largest known Olive Ridley sea turtle nesting beach in the world, with half a million nesting annually, and the site has the highest density of saltwater crocodile in the country, with nearly 700 Crocodylus porosus. It is a major breeding and wintering place for many resident and migratory waterbirds and is the east coast's major nursery for brackish water and estuarine fish fauna. Like many mangrove areas, the dense coastal forests provide vital protection for millions of people from devastating cyclones and tidal surges of India's 58 recorded species of mangroves, 55 species are found in Bhitarkanika, wider mangrove diversity than in the Sundarbans!

East Calcutta Wetlands

Included on 19/08/02 in West Bengal. is world renowned as a model of a multiple use wetland, the site's resource recovery systems, developed by local people through the ages, have saved the city of Calcutta from the costs of constructing and maintaining waste water treatment plants. The wetland forms an urban facility for treating the city's waste water and utilizing the treated water for pisciculture and agriculture, through the recovery of nutrients in an efficient manner the water flows through fish ponds covering about 4,000 ha, and the ponds act as solar reactors and complete most of their biochemical reactions with the help of solar energy. Thus the system is described as "one of the rare examples of environmental protection and development management where a complex ecological process has been adopted by the local farmers for mastering the resource recovery activities" (RIS). The wetland provides about 150 tons of fresh vegetables daily, as well as some 10,500 tons of table fish per year, the latter providing livelihoods for about 50,000 people directly and as many again indirectly.

Point Calimere

Included on 19/08/02.in Tamil Nadu. is situated in coastal area consisting of shallow waters, shores, and long sand bars, intertidal flats and intertidal forests, chiefly mangrove, and seasonal, often saline lagoons, as well as human made salt exploitation sites. Some 257 species of birds have been recorded, 119 of them waterbirds, including the vulnerable species Spoonbill Sandpiper (Euryhorhynchus pygmaeus) and Grey Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) and some 30,000 Greater and Lesser Flamingos. The site serves as the breeding ground or nursery for many commercially important species of fish, as well as for prawns and crabs.

VembanandKole Wetland

Included on 19/08/02 in Kerala. is the largest brackish, humid tropical wetland ecosystem on the southwest coast of India, fed by 10 rivers and typical of large estuarine systems on the western coast, renowned for its clams and supporting the third largest waterfowl population in India during the winter months. Over 90 species of resident birds and 50 species of migratory birds are found in the Kol area.

Ropar Lake

Included on 22/01/02 in Punjab is a human made wetland of lake and river formed by the 1952 construction of a barrage for diversion of water from the Sutlej River for drinking and irrigation supplies. The site is an important breeding place for the nationally protected Smooth Indian Otter,

Hog Deer,Sambhar , and several reptiles, and the endangered Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is thought to be present. Some 35 species of fish play an important role in the food chain, and about 150 species of local and migratory birds are supported.

Tsomiriri

Included on 19/08/02 in Jammu & Kashmir is a freshwater to brackish lake lying at 4,595m above sea level, with wet meadows and boraxladen wetlands along the shores. The site is said to represent the only breeding ground outside of China for one of the most endangered cranes, the

Blacknecked crane (Grus nigricollis), and the only breeding ground for Barheaded geese in India. The Great Tibetan Sheep or Argali (Ovis

ammon hodgsoni) and Tibetan Wild Ass (Equus kiang) are endemic to the Tibetan plateau, of which the Changthang is the westernmost part.

Wular Lake

Included on 23/03/90 in Jammu & Kashmir is the largest freshwater lake in India with extensive marshes of emergent and floating vegetation, particularly water chestnut, that provide an important source of revenue for the State Government and fodder for domestic livestock. The lake supports an important fishing industry and is a valuable source of water for irrigation and domestic use. The area is important for wintering, staging and breeding birds.

Loktak Lake

Included on 23/03/90 in Manipur is a large, but shrinking freshwater lake and associated swamplands supplied by several streams. Thick, floating mats of weeds covered with soil (‘phumids’) are a characteristic feature. The lake is used extensively by local people as a source of water for irrigation and domestic use and is an important wintering and staging area for water birds, particularly ducks.

Pong Dam Lake

Included on 19/08/02 in Himachal Pradesh is a water storage reservoir created in 1975 on the Beas River in the low foothills of the Himalaya on the northern edge of the IndoGangetic plain. The RIS notes that "at a time when wetlands in northern India are getting reduced due to extensive drainage and reclamation, the avian habitats formed by the creation of the Pong Dam assume a great significance" given the site's location on the transHimalayan flyway, more than 220 bird species have been identified, with 54 species of waterfowl. Lowyield subsistence fishing existed prior to impoundment, but since, a lucrative fishery has grown up, with 27 fish species and a yield increasing markedly each year some 1800 fishermen now have direct employment and 1000 families benefit indirectly.

Sambhar

Included on 23/03/90 in Rajasthan is a large saline lake fed by four streams set in a shallow wetland and subject to seasonal fluctuations. It is surrounded by sand flats and dry thorn scrub and fed by seasonal rivers and streams. The site is important for a variety of wintering waterbirds, including large numbers of flamingos. Sasthamkotta Lake Included on 19/08/02 in Kerala is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala state in the southwest of the country, springfed and the source of drinking water for half a million people in the Kollam district. Some 27 freshwater fish species are present. The water contains no common salts or other minerals and supports no water plants; a larva called "cavaborus" abounds and eliminates bacteria in the water, thus contributing to its exceptional purity.

Courtesy- Indian Nature Tours ™

India and Climate Change

Climate change is nothing but the rise in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere due to an increase in the level of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, etc. Due to anthropological or human induced factors there has been a sharp increase in the level of greenhouse gases which leads to an increase in the temperature of the earth’s surface causing various ecological imbalances in the world.

These emissions are also called carbon emissions since the main components of greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide and methane; both carbon rich gases. These emissions are a by-product of many human activities consisting of mainly industrial activities. All human activities relating to the modern lifestyle of today’s man are large contributors to the issue of climate change.

The problem of climate change is mainly atrributed to the industrial revolution. All the activities in the industrialization process necessitate an increase in carbon emissions. Thus, the development processes of a country as well as its carbon emissions go hand-in-hand.

The monumental problems of climate change faced by the world today are a cause of the rapid industrialization that took place in the last century. Thus, the developed world is the major culprit of this crime which led to the exploitation and degradation of our atmosphere. But, the developing countries, which have just recently begun their journey to the destination of development, are made to shoulder the responsibility of mitigating the adverse effects of climate change by reduction in the carbon emissions levels emitted by them.

This is a cause of major hindrance in the development process of a country like India and can be seen as unfair on the part of the developed nations to slow down the pace of development in such nations at such a crucial stage.

India has taken major steps in reducing its carbon emissions though it is not bound by legal agreements to cut down its carbon emissions, . India signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on June 10, 1992 and ratified it on November 1, 1993. India hosted the eighth Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in October 2002 in Delhi. It signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol, one of the most important international agreements on climate change on August 26th, 2002. In pursuance of the goals of implementing the provisions of the UNFCCC Convention, a project was initiated towards preparation of India's National Communication on sources of greenhouse gas emissions (NATCOM) to the UNFCCC through the United Nations Development Programme. The Global Environmental Facility is funding many projects that India has taken up with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These projects are mostly related to small-scale projects which are largely based on renewable energy sources.

India’s power sector, already plagued with problems does not have to intensify its problems multifold by committing itself to inject huge financial resources in developing alternate forms of energy or clean environment-friendly technology.

Though India understands the gravity of the situation, the mitigation of climate change at the cost of its development seems like an unfair bargain. The major emitters of the previous century which increased their carbon emissions incessantly to pursue the path of rapid development cannot expect developing countries to forget their own development to clean up the developed countries’ mess.

India, being a fast growing economy has many obligations towards its own citizens to provide them with better standards of living which can only be obtained through a massive expansion of the economy. The wealth of the country needs to be increased and distributed in a holistic manner to decrease the problems of poverty and low standard of living prevalent in majority of the population. India’s infrastructure sector which is the major driver of economic growth cannot be unnecessarily burdened with the monumental task of mitigating climate change and incurring huge financial expenditure in the process when it itself is financially starved and in need of assistance from private sector.

Thus, India being a minor contributor to the world’s GHG emissions and having one of the lowest per-capita emissions in the world, should be allowed to follow the development path and achieve high levels of GDP growth rate in order to meet the demands of its population and provide its citizens with a high standard of living without incurring huge financial expenditure on climate change mitigation which proves to be an impediment in the growth story of the country. They should be allowed to emit at an increased rate as necessitated by the development process the same way in which developed countries did in their developing phase.

Global Warming Could Mean Less Food for Us!

According to a latest study, global warming could cause an 18 percent drop in world food production by 2050, but investments in irrigation and infrastructure, and moving food output to different regions, could reduce the loss.
The study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters suggests that globally, irrigation systems should be expanded by more than 25 percent to cope with changing rainfall patterns, the study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. Where they should be expanded is difficult to model because of competing scenarios on how rainfall will change, so the majority of irrigation investments should be made after 2030, the study states.

"If you don't carefully plan (where to spend resources), you will get adaptation wrong," says David Leclere, one of the study's authors. Infrastructure and processing chains will need to be built in areas where there was little agriculture before in order to expand production, he said.

International food markets will require closer integration to respond to global warming, as production will become more difficult in some southern regions, but new land further north will become available for growing crops.

Based on the study's models, Leclere expects production to increase in Europe, while much of Africa will remain dependent on imports. If climate change is managed correctly, food production could even rise 3 percent by 2050, the study said, as a higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has a fertilizing effect on plants.

Managing water resources is expected to be the biggest challenge for farmers due to climate change. Water "may become dramatically scarcer much earlier than previously thought", Michael Obersteiner, another study co-author, said in a statement.

Environmental Impacts of Quarrying and Mining

As essential industries in today’s environmentally aware society, it is vital that quarrying, mining and dredging operations ensure that they achieve the best possible environmental management of their activities. Poor environmental management within the industry results not only in non-compliance of legislation, which includes heavy fines, but also in poor public relations, loss of business, and loss and destruction of wildlife and habitats. Good environmental management in the industry can result in good publicity and public relations, increase in business, and the creation of habitats for a variety species, including endangered species and specialist habitats.

Understanding the essential role of the extractive industry and its contribution to society is an important part of the education process. It is equally important to recognize and increase understanding of the industries environmental impacts, both negative and positive, and understand management techniques to both mitigate in the former and enhance in the latter.

Mining involves bunch of activities which affects the natural balance like removal of top and subsoil for access to resources underneath, the mechanical handling of minerals and so on. Given are some of the activities and their impacts on environment.

Removal of top soil for accessing natural resources

The most potential impact of removal of top and sub soil is loss of organic rich soil and the forms of life it contains. Land without top and sub-soil is less capable of sustaining life and barren land after quarry operations have ceased if the land is not restored with soil.

Permission for extraction sites usually require the strategy for the movement of soils to be drawn up before permission is granted during the planning process, unless restoration is to commercial or domestic development. The need for progressive restoration is usually stressed in planning conditions. Soil can also be stored for use in the sites restoration by preventing it from contamination by weeds, seeds, etc.

The mechanical handling of minerals

Most probable impact of mineral handling is dust emission. The emitted dust gets deposited in nearby surrounding which becomes a hazard for the health of living beings in that area. Ecological impacts like Physical effects of stomata damage and blockage, resulting in drought stress and Chemical effects of dust either directly on the plant surface or on the soil health cannot be undermined.

These impacts can be minimised certainly by preventing the dust becoming airborne. It can either be achieved through legislation or/and good practices. Active monitoring devices for occupational health and safety methods, and passive monitoring devices for a broader approach, including for nuisance effects can be effective. An Environmental Management System (EMS) can be encouraged for the effective ongoing assessment of impacts, such as the Eco-Management. Dust assessment survey can be used to effectively reduce the dust emission. More of the protection measures like placing dust generating activities where maximum protection can be obtained from topography, woodland or other features; locating dust generating activities where prevailing winds will blow dust away from residential properties/sensitive premises/ users; minimising the need to transport and handle materials by placing adequate storage facilities close to processing areas can also be considered.

Removal of a wild area for site operations

It may result into loss of species and habitat if area is not restored for wildlife. The alteration to existing habitat (e.g. creation of soil storage mounds, creation of barriers, fragmentation of habitats, changes in numbers to predator/prey, introduction of new habitats/species) and The removal of wildlife and habitats in the surrounding area (due to loss/reduction of species bank, removal of keystone species) may lead to detrimental effects.

Legislative side to protect wildlife form the negative impacts of mining activities consists of bunch of acts like Wildlife protection act, 1972;  Indian Forest Act, 1927; National Biodiversity rule, 2002, etc. Ecological Impact assessments (EIA) are required as part of the planning process, which has many purposes like demonstrating that a proposed development, will meet the legal requirement relating to species and to determine the significance of impacts affecting valued species and habitats. It can also be worked out by Identifying and designing measures to mitigate and compensate for negative impacts, and also measures to achieve positive enhancement for example alternative Sites can be considered wherever possible to avoid any impacts in the first place, Habitat creation is possible both during site restoration and during the operational period of the site, providing opportunities for the enhancement of wildlife and habitats.

The production of mineral waste

It has a visual impact especially when waste is dumped off site and piled high. Large overburden dumps, and if allowed to dry out, silt from settling ponds, can be a source of dust. Runoff from wastes can carry sediment that can potentially contaminate the water environment and cause erosion.

It is important to recognise that operators are always keen to minimise the amount of mineral waste they produce as material that is dug and not used is wasting time and money. There are many laws like Environmental protection act, 1986; EIA notification, 2006; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; MCDR 1988, etc  to deal with the negative impacts of pollution caused by mineral waste produced through mining activities. Good practice like reducing waste through proper planning by mining authorities, proper restoration of top and sub soil for future use, keeping waste out of sight within workings, ensuring that contamination is encased, can help reduce the impacts to a great extent.

Change in/removal of land use

Change in land use for mining activities may lead to anaesthetic surrounding, visual problems, conflicts with existing land use, and bad relations with surrounding communities.. The mining authorities should follow guidelines by the government in the form of national and regional guides and strategies. Government policy should require greater consultation and involvement with the community during planning. Permission should be refused for site development where adverse effects on the local community, environmental damage or loss of amenity cannot be kept to an acceptable minimum.

Tiger reserves of India

There are currently 47 tiger reserves in India which are governed by Project Tiger administered by National Tiger Conservation Authority.

S.No.	State	Tiger Reserve	Year Estd.	Est. No. of Tigers	Total Area (km2)
1	Andhra Pradesh	Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve	1982-83	29	3568
2	Arunachal Pradesh	Namdapha Tiger Reserve	1982-83	37	1985
3	Arunachal Pradesh	Pakhui Tiger Reserve	1999–00	36	862
4	Assam	Manas Tiger Reserve	1973-74	35	2840
5	Assam	Nameri Tiger Reserve	1999–00	37	344
6	Assam	Kaziranga Tiger Reserve	2006-07	42	859
7	Bihar	Valmiki Tiger Reserve	1989-90	42	840
8	Chhattisgarh	Udanti and Sitanadi Tiger Reserve	2008-09	54	1580
9	Chhattisgarh	Achanakmar Tiger Reserve	2008-09	42	963
10	Chhattisgarh	Indravati Tiger Reserve	1982-83	39	2799
11	Jharkhand	Palamau Tiger Reserve	1973-74	19	1026
12	Karnataka	Bandipur Tiger Reserve	1973-74	89	866
13	Karnataka	Bhadra Tiger Reserve	1998-99	36	492
14	Karnataka	Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve	2006-07	41	875
15	Karnataka	Nagarhole Tiger Reserve	1999–00	47	643
16	Karnataka	Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve	2010-11	40	540
17	Kerala	Periyar Tiger Reserve	1978-79	77	925
18	Kerala	Parambikulam Tiger Reserve	2010-11	58	391
19	Madhya Pradesh	Kanha Tiger Reserve	1973-74	87	1945
20	Madhya Pradesh	Pench Tiger Reserve	1992-93	64	758
21	Madhya Pradesh	Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve	1993-94	79	1162
22	Madhya Pradesh	Panna Tiger Reserve	1994-95	18	542
23	Madhya Pradesh	Bori-Satpura Tiger Reserve	1999–00	44	1486
24	Madhya Pradesh	Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve	2008-09	56	831
25	Maharashtra	Melghat Tiger Reserve	1973-74	45	1677
26	Maharashtra	Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve	1993-94	100	620
27	Maharashtra	Bor Tiger Reserve	2014	7-8	138
28	Maharashtra	Pench Tiger Reserve	1998-99	35	257
29	Maharashtra	Sahyadri Tiger Reserve	2008-09	46	569
30	Maharashtra	Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve	2012-13		653
31	Mizoram	Dampa Tiger Reserve	1994-95	48	500
32	Odisha	Simlipal Tiger Reserve	1973-74	64	2750
33	Odisha	Satkosia Tiger Reserve	2006-07	31	523
34	Rajasthan	Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve	1973-74	68	1334
35	Rajasthan	Sariska Tiger Reserve	1978-79	5	866
36	Rajasthan	Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve	2012-13		417
37	Tamil Nadu	Kalakad-Mundathurai Tiger Reserve	1988-89	93	800
38	Tamil Nadu	Mudumalai Tiger Reserve	2006-07	64	321
39	Tamil Nadu	Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve	2012-13	47	1408.405
40	Tamil Nadu	Anamalai Tiger Reserve	2008-09	49	1019
41	Telangana	Kawal Tiger Reserve	2010-11	42	893
42	Uttar Pradesh	Dudhwa Tiger Reserve	1987-88	141	811
43	Uttar Pradesh	Amangarh Tiger Reserve	2012	??	80
44	Uttar Pradesh	Pilibhit Tiger Reserve	2014	30	1074
45	Uttarakhand	Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve	1973-74	160	80
46	West Bengal	Buxa Tiger Reserve	1982-83	29	759
47	West Bengal	Sunderbans Tiger Reserve	1973-74	89	2585