There is growing evidence that the environment is degrading more than ever before. The pandemic has changed the perspective towards health and environment. While, humankind is shifting more towards nature-based solutions for restoring environment. According to Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), earth’s natural systems are operating in the red category, its prevailing conclusion was relevant for wetland managers and policymakers. Wetlands are unique, diverse and productive habitats which are also referred to as the “earth’s kidney”. They exist in every country and in an array of climatic zones from the tropics to the polar regions and from low to high altitudes. As per the Ramsar Convention, wetlands are “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters”. Wetlands can also be a part of countries’ mitigation strategy as healthy wetlands store carbon and water, reduce emissions, and provide natural habitat to endemic species. The total wetland area of India is estimated to be 15.98 Mha which is around 4.86 percent of the total geographic area of the country. A total of 2,31,195 wetlands (area >=2.25 ha) have been identified and mapped during 2017-18 in India.
A recent estimate of global wetland area states that it covers a minimum of 1.5 -1.6 billion hectares in the world. Despite covering a trivial fraction of land area, wetlands provide disproportionately larger critical ecosystem services. These wetlands are like arteries and veins of the landscape. They have notable capacity to sequester carbon despite covering lesser area than other ecosystems, like forests. All the services provided by this extraordinary ecosystem makes it crucial for preservation of mother earth and for achieving the nationally determined global goals. In addition, these exquisite wetlands are home to important species of migratory birds as well.
As of February, 2022, Khijadiya wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat and Bakhira wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh were notified as Ramsar sites on the occasion of worlds wetland day. Globally, conservationists and early governments are bending to reclaim wetlands in large areas and make full use of the same.
Countries are addressing the issue of water security at various levels. Numerous conventions and policies were introduced for the protection of the same. For instance, the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 was launched under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for conservation and management of wetlands in India. Centrally sponsored schemes namely, the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic ecosystems (NPCA) was implemented for conservation and management of wetlands in the country on a cost-sharing basis between the Central Government and respective State Governments. Along with this, other ministries also provide funding to wetlands within this scheme. Despite such initiatives many wetlands are exhibiting degrading conditions due to the anthropogenic effects caused by urbanization and developmental pressures.
Despite the lofty ambitions, wetlands continue to be lost and degraded, specifically in urban areas, due to a combination of political factors. The benefits of urban wetlands are seen to be relatively low, non-participatory and are subject to uncoordinated and poor governance. In addition, human involvement in encroaching the urban areas is becoming a major threat to these wetlands. It is a dire need to extricate the wetlands from their untoward condition. Various concepts were introduced in the past to revive these wetlands like constructed wetlands. However, a more tailor-made approach is needed to restore these ecosystem service providers. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 calls for cities to be made inclusive, safe and sustainable. Preservation of urban wetlands could be a positive step towards this target.
From the larger national perspective, there is a key role that wetlands play for biodiversity preservation. The Dasgupta review provides a rich overview of the economics of biodiversity highlighting its importance at the global level. It presents a bleak picture of the current state of biodiversity and served as a call to arms for action in the expectancy of CBD COP 15. In the review, it is stated that wetland restoration takes time and its destruction can only be reversed at considerable cost.
Wetlands are vulnerable to climate change, particularly affecting the economically disadvantaged people, especially in coastal communities and small developing islands. These have come to arbitrage condition. Moreover, wetlands are important in fulfilling global obligations for biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development. They can become a crucial part of delivering climate solutions. Measure towards wetlands need to progressively be included in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Managing wetlands as natural infrastructure can help meet a wider range of policy objectives, such as ensuring water and food security, as well mitigating effects of climate change. There is a critical need for catalyzing wetland actions and tracking progress to attain the SDGs. The G20 is well positioned to work with the aforementioned ecosystems around the world with strong leadership and support from governments to incorporate all the benefits of a natural approach to infrastructure investment and funding. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, signed by all G20 members except for Saudi Arabia, has 916 officially designated Wetlands of International Importance within G20 countries, covering 91,453,367 hectares.
In line with the above, signatories to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) congregated in New Delhi for COP14 to adopt the Delhi Declaration for “Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)” agenda, taking it forward as a national target to attain by 2030. The UNCCD’s goal of LDN stresses on attaining three concurrent actions to halt and reverse the alarming picture of a degrading future. LDN encourages the adoption of a broad range of measures to avoid or reduce land degradation through appropriate planning, regulation and sustainable land management practices. There is a crucial role that restoration of wetlands could play in the larger land management plan of countries. Recently, a white paper was released by Wetlands International South Asia ahead of the pre-COP 15 negotiations by putting forward five global, science-based targets for protection and restoration of wetlands as well as for their inclusion in climate agreements.
The resilience of wetlands and the contribution of biodiversity to carbon stock will improve conservation and restoration of degraded environment, which will have an impact on combating climate change, desertification and land degradation.
The G20 Indonesia 2022 elucidated three priority areas that stressed upon achieving a global green and sustainable economic recovery. In this regard, G20 countries can play a vital role in saving the wetlands as part of the Climate Working Group agenda. At present, the protection and restoration of wetlands is not incorporated in global nature and climate agreements. Wetlands contain unique properties of their own and these could be given importance in the international agreements. To restore and rejuvenate these wetlands from the ire of rampant encroachment and conversion, it is high time to address this lamentable situation.
(Views expressed are author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of ICRIER.)
