Comment on the National Wetland Conservation Programme initiated by the Government of India and name a few India’s wetlands of international importance included in the Ramsar Sites. (250 words)

Programme

The National Wetland Conservation Programme, later subsumed within the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems, sought to conserve identified wetlands through State–Centre coordination, management plans, catchment treatment, pollution abatement, biodiversity protection and community participation.

Assessment

• Wetlands regulate floods, recharge groundwater, sequester carbon, support fisheries and migratory birds, and sustain local livelihoods.
• Progress is constrained by encroachment, sewage, solid waste, invasive species, altered hydrology, weak inventories and fragmented governance.
• Ramsar designation raises international recognition and encourages wise use, but designation alone does not guarantee ecological health.

Examples of Ramsar sites

Chilika Lake and Bhitarkanika Mangroves (Odisha); Keoladeo National Park and Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan); Loktak Lake (Manipur); Wular Lake (Jammu and Kashmir); Nalsarovar (Gujarat); Vembanad-Kol (Kerala); East Kolkata Wetlands (West Bengal); and Kolleru Lake (Andhra Pradesh).

Way forward

Map wetland boundaries, maintain environmental flows, treat wastewater, enforce buffer zones, use satellite monitoring and empower wetland committees and livelihood-dependent communities.

Keywords

wise use; ecological character; NPCA; Ramsar; environmental flows