Integrating wetland ecosystem into developmental planning

Pratiksha Baruah

(Architect and environmental specialist.

Can be reached at pratikshabaruah@yahoo.com)

With rapid urbanization and industrialization, the natural resources are depleting at an alarming rate in support of economic growth in India. This drastic deterioration of the ecological systems such as air, water and soil, and pollution is attributed to human activities that are resulting in altering the composition of the global atmosphere and natural climate variability observed over comparable periods. There has been a significant rise of carbon dioxide emissions by 11% over the past decade, an average temperature increases by 0.6 degrees Celsius (°C) between 1901-10 and 2009-18, increased sea-level rise and more frequent and intense extreme weather events (EWEs) across the country. The continuous urban area expansion is causing a direct impact on nature in terms of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation due to changing urban landscapes and natural habitats. Wetland is one such ecosystem that is facing a major loss in its area across the globe!

As the world celebrates 26th World Wetlands Day this year, let us all realize the value of wetlands and how we can restore and protect them from disappearance. It's a day that we rethink all the negative impact on this rich resource, our actions as mankind have caused and recognize the positive production that wetlands have had on the world. This day also raises global awareness because wetlands play a significant role both for people and the planet.

Wetlands are areas where water-primarily controls the environment and the associated plant and animal life. A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that occurs where land is covered by water or at places where the water table is at or near the surface of the land. Amongst the most productive ecosystems of the Earth, wetland ecosystems are considered essential to human well-being. The system includes biotic and abiotic components that interact with each other forming functions such as nutrient cycling, biogeochemical cycles, maintaining balance among various organisms, etc. All the populations of all the diverse species that live together in an ecosystem form attribute that work together to survive and maintain their respective ecosystems. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that wetland ecosystems can deliver a great variety of benefits to the human society that can be extracted directly from nature or that are necessary for maintaining environmental conditions favourable to life, production of all other ecosystem services and providing non-material cultural services. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands that recognize wetlands as ecosystems vital for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development across its region. Researchers say that regardless of the recognized importance of wetlands, their values are consistently underestimated and overlooked.

The World Heritage and Ramsar Conventions: Converging Towards Success, 2017 report concludes show that 64% of the world's wetlands have disappeared in the last century, at a rate of 1% loss every year of those remaining. According to the Global Assessment Report, 2019 on biodiversity and ecosystem services, wetlands are identified as the most threatened ecosystem that has impacted 40% of the world's plant and animal species living or breeding in wetlands. High population growth and subsequently expanding demand for land have drastically impacted ecologically sensitive land use globally. Urbanization as a result of overpopulation has thereby led to various human anthropogenic activities which is the root cause of environmental degradation and natural resources depletion. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1994, massive degradation of wetlands is also happening as a result of primary pollutants such as sediments, nutrients, pesticides, salinity, heavy metals, weeds, low dissolved oxygen, pH and selenium. The Wildlife Institute of India's survey reveals that 70-80% of individual freshwater marshes and lakes in the Gangetic floodplains have been lost in the five decades. At present, only 50% of India's wetlands now remain. Recent studies by the Down to Earth show that Chennai has lost 90% of its wetlands due to unplanned urbanization, causing issues of water security and degraded environment to the city. Vadodara and Hyderabad have lost 30.5% and 55% respectively between 2005 and 2018 mainly due to inefficient waste management, rising pollution and rapid urban development. Cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad have lost more than 50% of their wetlands while Pune and Delhi-National Capital Region have lost an average of 37.5% to construction and eutrophication from pollution. Deepor Beel is a permanent freshwater lake and the only Ramsar site in Assam which is experiencing adverse similar human activities like encroachment, cutting the sides of wetlands, degradation of water quality, sedimentation in the lake surface, deforestation activities in and around the Beel area that has increased the importance of conservation and restoration of the beel.

Time is now that wetland ecosystem services are recognised and considered as a part of the decision-making system as a prerequisite. The abundant ecosystem services that wetlands provide play a major role in mitigating and adapting to climate crises along with achieving overall sustainable development. The benefits people get from the wetland ecosystem is immense. Wetlands provide humans with direct uses which include goods and services like fish, wetland soil for agriculture, reeds, freshwater, medicinal products, etc., in its region. Furthermore, the wetland ecosystem provides several other services like soil formation, nutrient cycling, hydrological cycle and primary production. Many wetlands across the globe like the Chilka Lake in Odisha and the Balaga Wetland in Batan, Philippines, have promoted wetland ecotourism to only develop the livelihood of the neighbouring towns and villages, but also contribute to the economic development as well as enable funds for management and conservation of the ecological resource. Other than ecotourism, wetlands also provide other cultural ecosystem services that foster social cohesion and contribute to a sense of place, essential for human well-being. With rapid urbanization, there are huge threats to air quality, carbon emissions, increased floods, local climate, water quality, etc., which are maintained and regulated by wetlands to a great extent. Hence, conservation of wetlands at the local level through effective decision-making towards integrating wetlands into the planning process requires utmost priority nationwide.

At the local level, there is a need to the preparation of interactive GIS map at the city scale and identify ecosystem services of the respective urban wetlands with active stakeholders' involvement. Also, it is necessary to understand the hydro-geological parameters influencing the water bodies which will contribute to helping in identifying implications of urban development provisions and developing indicators and standards for their management. Based on establishing the criticality of the urban wetland, action plan preparation for tackling the issues should be taken into consideration.

So far, there are wetlands in India that have been included within the planning initiatives towards achieving an overall urban sustainable development. Municipal Corporations like Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation have acted as an implementing agency for the revitalization of Powai Lake to restore the lake to its original pristine and sustainable form by adopting eco-friendly designs and materials for the restoration works.

In conclusion, it is imperative to mention that towards increasing capacity building of urban wetland managers, a systematic approach to prioritizing and planning for wetland management as an integrated and holistic approach should be a strategic step in local governing agencies.