Loss to natural coastal wetlands since ’06: Data
NEW DELHI: As many as 1,342 wetlands covering an area of 0.025mha disappeared in 2017-18, according to an atlas titled “Space-based observation of Indian Wetlands” prepared by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Space Applications Centre.
According to the atlas, which was released on Wednesday, the total wetland area increased by 0.64 mha compared to the inventory of 2006-07. There are 231,195 wetlands in India, it said.
Natural coastal wetlands lost around 73,961 ha over a decade. Out of this, 116,897 ha loss is related to intertidal mudflats and 5647 ha to salt marshes. There was a loss of 6,557 ha in natural inland waterlogged areas also. The gains are mostly in man-made wetlands.
The loss in wetland area for intertidal mudflat was -4.8%, salt marsh -3.7%, and waterlogged areas -2.4%. There has been a decrease in coastal natural wetlands, which have been mostly converted into the coastal manmade category. The major loss in the intertidal mudflats related to those converted into salt pans in Rann of Kutch.
There has been an enhancement in wetland area in salt pans-coastal (58%), aquaculture ponds-inlands (55.3%), salt pansinlands (49.2%), reservoir (12.8%), and high-altitude wetlands (7.4%).
The total inland wetlands area was spread over is 11.85 mha (74.1%), out of which inland natural and inland man-made wetlands are 43.9% and 30.2%. Coastal wetlands covered an area of 4.13 mha (25.9%) out of which 22.7% and 3.2% belong to natural and man-made categories.
Tamil Nadu (11.6%), Maharashtra (11.2%), Andhra Pradesh (10.4%), Uttar Pradesh (8%), and Gujarat (7.6%) have the highest number of wetlands. The area coverage with wetlands is highest in Gujarat (21.9%) followed by Maharashtra (7.2%), Andhra Pradesh (7.14%). Goa has the highest area (24.6%) in terms of the fraction of geographic area under wetlands.
Conversion of wetlands for agriculture, deforestation in wetlands like loss of mangroves, impounding of water due to damned reservoirs, groundwater depletion, and degradation of water quality have been cited among threats to wetlands
According to the atlas, wetlands are central to meeting many of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 associated targets, focusing on poverty, hunger, health, energy, consumption, and climate change. “One of the difficulties most frequently faced for decision-making is lack of scientific data of our dynamic natural resources which are influenced by both natural and man-made activities. Often the data are sparse or unconvincing, rarely in the form of updated geospatial database (map), need monitoring,” the atlas said.
It added over a period of time, the database of wetlands has been widely used in developmental activities that require environmental clearances, etc. “Since almost a decade has been passed; it is worthwhile reassessing the current status of wetlands at national level in comparison with the database of 2006-07. The updated wetland inventory and reassessment is an attempt in this direction.”