New Delhi :
Have you ever wondered how important are Wetlands for our environment? How indispensable they are, for a number of reasons, providing countless help to humanity with fresh water supply, flood control, climate change mitigation and many more significant benefits to nature.
For those who don’t know what a wetland is, it is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem.
They are also very important for animals and plants to survive. Actually, they are one of the most vital and productive ecosystems on the planet. Unfortunately, this valuable asset of the planet are slowly getting lost at an alarming rate in many regions of the Earth. According to a report, at least 64 per cent of wetlands have diminished since 1990.
In India, Maharashtra is reportedly having 7 Ramsar sites. The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971.
Maharashtra have a total of seven Ramsar sites. A Ramsar site is a specific type of wetland which is deemed to be of "international importance" under the Ramsar Convention.
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971.
Maharashtra has a number of other wetlands among which some of them have been declared as Important Bird Areas (IBAs). In 2013, the Maharashtra Forest Department had identified and proposed five much important wetlands which could have been declared as Ramsar sites.
Apart from Hatnur dam in Jalgaon and Thane Creek in Thane district, Jaikwadi Bird Sanctuary (Aurangabad), Ujni Reservoir (Pune), Sewri Creek or Mahul-Sewri Mudflats (Mumbai), Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary (Nashik), and Lonar Lake Sanctuary (Buldhana) also qualify as important wetland sites.
India is very significant to Ramsar Convention and declaration of more Ramsar sites would help the country to garner global recognition. It can also promote the conservation of the wetlands in saving varied biodiversity and ensuring water security of many parts of the surrounding regions.
