Bird festival to be inaugurated on Wetland Day
MEERUT: A two-day bird festival will be inaugurated at Haiderpur wetland in Muzaffarnagar on World Wetland Day on February 2.
Haiderpur wetland supports a good population of swamp deer and over 200 avifaunal species, including migratory and residential birds, said San jay Kumar, commissioner, Saharanpur and a wildlife enthusiast.
“The motive behind celebrating bird festival is to draw the attention of people towards importance of birds, wildlife and wetlands, which contribute to the ecological and economic security of the state,” said Kumar.UP is the first state to get a Ganga river stretch of 82 kms — between Garh and Narora —designated as a Ramsar site.It was accorded conservation status in 2006 for the protection of highly endangered Gangetic Dolphins. Elaborating on the significance of wetlands, Dr Ritesh Kumar, director, Wetlands International South Asia, said, “Wetlands are fragile ecosystems. They are a vital part of the hydrological cycle, are highly productive and support rich biodiversity. Wetlands provide a number of ecosystem services and important resources, like; water, food, fibre, fish, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control and climate regulation,” said Kumar.The 2020 theme ‘Wetlands and Biodiversity’ seeks to highlight the role healthy wetlands play in supporting life on earth.As per estimates, over 40% of life forms that we know of live or breed in wetlands.
The diversity of life enables these ecosystems to support human well-being by providing freshwater, regulating water availability and thus buffering floods and drought, recharging groundwater, providing food in the form of rice, fish and a range of plants, and being an avenue of culture and recreation.
Wetlands, such as peatlands and mangroves soak harmful greenhouse gases (about 30% of land-based carbon) and thus help in climate change mitigation. Unfortunately, the diverse values of wetlands are seldom recognized and wetlands are being lost at rates three times higher than the known rates of loss of forests.
Wetland dependent species, particularly those dependent on freshwater, are declining faster than most of the species.
India had witnessed a rapid degradation of its wetlands. In the last three decades alone, nearly one-third of natural wetlands have been lost to urbanization, agriculture expansion and pollution. The loss of wetlands in urban areas has been more rapid. Data from 26 cities and towns show that since 1970s, every 1 square kilometre increase in built up area, 25 ha of wetlands has been lost.An ecosystem health assessment of wetlands under 100-day programme of the government of India indicated that one in every four wetlands had low to very low ecosystem health and high to very high threat. The status of wetlands in general and Ramsar sites in particular remains a matter of great concern.