The Hindu : Sport : To save the wetlands

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 11, 2005

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To save the wetlands

Aarti Dhar

30 countries to endorse Central Asian Flyway action plan

NEW DELHI: The Central Government is considering the setting up of a national network of wetland-protected areas and the formulation of a national wetland policy in order to conserve its wetlands and protect migratory waterbirds.

Speaking at an international conference on "Migratory Water Birds and their Habitats," organised by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Wild Life Institute of India, the Union Environment and Forests Minister A. Raja, said the scientific community had recommended over 300 potential "Ramsar sites" for conservation to attract Siberian cranes.

The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are now 145 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1435 wetland sites, totalling 125.1 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List.

India attached great significance to resident as well as migratory waterbirds and realises that wetlands comprise an important habitat for the conservation of all species of waterbirds. Unfortunately, these are dwindling in some areas owing to livelihood pressures of the people, he said. Mr. Raja said: "The conservation and management of waterbirds is a priority under the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) duly supported by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. India has bilateral arrangements with neighbouring nations as well as multilateral agreements to safeguard the migratory water birds, transcending national jurisdiction.''

Stating that India had made a modest, but strongly grounded beginning to conserve its wetlands, Mr. Raja pointed out that 19 Ramsar sites had been notified and more were being evaluated for nomination. A complimentary programme for their management is also being worked out. Expressing India's commitment to the sustainable use of these wetlands, the Minister called for strategies for the use of these wetlands to address the issues of conservation and needs of the communities.

India supports more than 1,200 species of birds of which 250 are waterbirds. India is looking to establish cooperative arrangements with neighbouring countries that are keen to protect waterbirds that migrate to and from India to a wider and non-boundary sharing set of countries. India shares its boundary with other countries of rich biological diversity.

The four-day meet will discuss legislative and other institutional frameworks to facilitate conservation of migratory waterbirds, regulation of hunting and other disturbances, management and restoration of waterbird habitats, capacity building for monitoring and research and increasing awareness on the problems of the waterbirds.

Representatives of 30 countries will endorse the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) action plan to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats here. The CAF forms one of the most important and heavily travelled routes and the manner in which migrating waterbirds cross the mighty Himalayas, fly over long and winding rivers and even war-ravaged arid landscapes is a mystery yet to be unveiled.

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