Conservation and Management of Wetlands

The loss of ecologically sensitive wetlands is due to the uncoordinated pattern of urban growth happening in Greater Bangalore. This could be attributed to a lack of good governance and decentralized administration evident from lack of coordination among many Para-state agencies, which has led to unsustainable use of the land and other resources. Failure to deal with water as a finite resource is leading to the unnecessary destruction of lakes and marshes that provide us with water. This failure in turn is threatening all options for the survival and security of plants, animals, humans, etc. There is an urgent need for:

• Restoring and conserving the actual source of water - the water cycle and the natural ecosystems that support it - are the basis for sustainable water management

• Reducing the environmental degradation that is preventing us from reaching goals of good public health, food security, and better livelihoods world-wide

• Improving the human quality of life that can be achieved in ways while maintaining and enhancing environmental quality

• Reducing greenhouse gases to avoid the dangerous effects of climate change is an integral part of protecting freshwater resources and ecosystems.

A comprehensive approach to water resource management is needed to address the myriad water quality problems that exist today from non-point and point sources as well as from catchment degradation. Watershed-based planning and resource management is a strategy for more effective protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems and for protection of human health. The watershed approach emphasizes all aspects of water quality, including chemical water quality (e.g., toxins and conventional pollutants), physical water quality (e.g., temperature, flow, and circulation), habitat quality (e.g., stream channel morphology, substrate composition, riparian zone characteristics, catchment land cover), and biological health and biodiversity (e.g., species abundance, diversity, and range).

The suggestions for conserving and managing wetlands to mitigate frequent floods were as per the recommendations of Lake 2010: Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change (22-24 December 2010) organized at the SatishDhawan Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science, and Brainstorming session for evolving the strategies for the conservation and management of lakes (26th Sept 2009) at the Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transport and Urban Planning [CiSTUP], Indian Institute of Science. Lake 2010 forum discussed the recommendations of Lake Symposiums (Lake 2008, Lake 2006, Lake 2004, Lake 2002, LimGIS 2001, Lake 2000, 1998 symposium) and Brainstorming Session (Ramachandra, 2009 a, b) apart from discussing the draft notification of the Regulatory Framework for Wetlands Conservation of The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Policy interventions required in order to conserve fragile ecosystems – wetlands are:

1. Carrying capacity studies for all macro cities:to adopt holistic approaches in regional planning considering all components (ecology, economic, social aspects) in rapidly urbanizing macro cities such as Greater Bangalore, etc.

2. Demarcation of the boundary of water bodies: The existing regulations pertaining to boundary demarcations within different states need to be reviewed according to updated norms and based on geomorphology and other scientific aspects pertaining to individual water bodies. Maximum Water Level mark should form the boundary line of the water body. The buffer zone should be treated as inviolable in the long-term interests of the water body and its biodiversity. This requires

   • Declare and maintain floodplains and valley zones of lakes as no activity regions
   • Remove all encroachments – free flood plains, valley zones, storm water drains, etc. of encroachments of any kind.
   • Ban conversion of lake, lakebed for any other purposes.
   • Urban wetlands, mostly lakes, have to be regulated from any type of encroachments.
   • Regulate the activity which interferes with the normal run-off and related ecological processes – in the buffer zone (200 m from lake boundary / flood plains is to be considered as buffer zone)

3. Mapping of water-bodies:The mapping of water bodies should also includesmaller wetlands, springs etc. The neglect of these hydrological systems could cause considerable impoverishment of water flow in the river systems as well as turn out to be threats to rare kinds of biodiversity.

4. Holistic and Integrated Approaches – Conservation and Management:Integration of   the activities with the common jurisdiction boundaries of Government Para-state Agencies for effective implementation of activities related to management, restoration, sustainable utilization, and conservation. This necessitates common jurisdictional boundary for all Para-state agencies. To minimise the confusion of ownership – assign the ownership of all natural resources (lakes, forests, etc.) to a single agency – Lake Protection and Management Authority (or Karnataka Forest Department). This agency shall be responsible for protection, development, and sustainable management of water bodies). There is a need to maintain catchment integrity to ensure lakes are perennial and maintain at least 33% land cover should be under natural Vegetation.

5. Documentation of biodiversity:The biodiversity of every water body should form part of the School, College, People’s Biodiversity Registers (SBR, CBR, and PBR). The local Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) should be given necessary financial support and scientific assistance in documentation of diversity. The presence of endemic, rare, endangered, or threatened species and economically important ones should be highlighted. A locally implementable conservation plan has to be prepared for such species.

6. Mitigation of Floods: This entails maintenance of open spaces (vegetation, water bodies). Mitigation necessitates restoration of  wetlands, removal of blockages in the drainage network, removal of encroachments (storm water drains, wetlands), prevention of indiscriminate disposal of  solid waste (including building debris) in storm water drains, lake beds, catchment of wetlands and restoration of the connectivity of lakes.

7. Preparation of management plans for   individual water bodies: Most large water bodies have unique individual characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare separate management plans for individual water bodies.

8. mplementation of sanitation facilities:It was noted with concern that the water bodies in most of India are badly polluted with sewage, coliform bacteria, and various other pathogens.

9. Restoration of lakes: The goals for restoration of aquatic ecosystems need to be realistic, and should be based on the concept of expected conditions for individual eco-regions. Further development of project selection and evaluation technology based on eco-region definitions and description should be encouraged and supported by the national and state government agencies.

10. Protection of riparian and buffer zone vegetation:Any clearances of riparian vegetation (alongside lakes) and buffer zone vegetation (around lakes) have to be prohibited.

11. Restoration of linkages between water bodies: The process of urbanization and neglect caused disruption of linkages between water bodies such as ancient lake systems of many cities. Wherever such disruptions have taken place, alternative arrangements should be provided to establish the lost linkages.

12. Rainwater harvesting:Intensive and comprehensive implementation of rainwater harvesting techniques can reduce taxation of water bodies and minimize electricity requirements. The country needs in principle a holistic rainwater harvesting policy aimed at directing water literally from “roof-tops to lakes” after catering to the domestic needs.

13. Environment Education: Lake Associations and citizen monitoring groups have proved helpful in educating the public. Effort should be made to ensure that such groups have accurate information about the causes of lake degradation and various restoration methods.

14. Adopt Inter-disciplinary Approach:  Aquatic ecosystem conservation and management requires collaborated research involving natural, social, and inter-disciplinary study aimed at understanding various components, such as monitoring of water quality, socio-economic dependency, biodiversity and other activities, as an indispensable tool for formulating long-term conservation strategies. This requires multidisciplinary-trained professionals who can spread the understanding of ecosystem’s importance at local schools, colleges, and research institutions by initiating educational programmes aimed at raising the levels of public awareness of aquatic ecosystems’ restoration, goals, and methods. Actively participating schools and colleges near the water bodies may value the opportunity to provide hands-on environmental education, which could entail setting up of laboratory facilities at the site. Regular monitoring of water bodies (with permanent laboratory facilities) would provide vital inputs for conservation and management.