Theme: Wetlands conservation: issues and challenges
December 19, 2019
3:00 pm-4:30 pm
Speaker: Dr Jayshree Vencatesan
Moderator: Mr Sripati Cowlagi
Venue: Fountainhead, ICCW
Ms Jayshree has been working in Biological Diversity Conservation, Watershed and Wasteland DevelopmentWater Resources, Micro-watershed
and Marshlands Bird Sanctuaries Training and Capacity Building on
Wetland Management Risk Assessment of extreme precipitation in the
coastal areas.
After an enriching experience of studying elephants and their interactions with humans and plants, Dr Jayashree Vencatesan moved onto work on wetlands. She works closely with the government and also collaborates with IITM.
She shared her concerns over the popular nomenclature: wetlands are not yet characterized to conserve them proactively.
The United Nations member nations adopted an intergovernmental treaty at the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 for conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources – called the Ramsar Convention, that defines any water body to be a wetland if it does not exceed a depth of 6m.
India is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on conservation of wetlands. Wetlands are also protected under the ‘National Wetland Conservation Rules.’
The wetlands are extremely rich in biodiversity; often new species are discovered. She shared her experience of her team discovering a new species of a frog and a wide-variety of salt-tolerant paddy – a few to name.
Upkeeping of wetlands must be promoted actively through awareness and training among the people living around wetlands and those whose livelihoods are impacted. She observed that protection of wetlands is common where there is wise use and the local people are the managers of the wetlands.
The goal, vision and metrics must be well-defined for the conservation of wetlands. Restoration must be done prudently to ensure retaining the diversity and promoting the conservation of the wetland; however, it is near impossible to restore the wetland to its near original condition. Adaptive management must be ensured for the same.
In today’s water crisis, wetlands are another important water body to be protected and conserved.
You can view the presentation of the talk here.
