Aquatic Ecosystems: Wetlands of Karnataka

Wetlands are the most productive and biologically diverse but very fragile ecosystems. They are vulnerable to even small changes in their biotic and abiotic factors. In recent years, there has been concern over the continuous degradation of wetlands due to unplanned developmental activities. This necessitates inventorying, mapping, and monitoring of wetlands to implement sustainable management approaches. Temporal analysis of wetlands indicates a sharp decline of 58% in Greater Bangalore attributing to intense urbanization processes, evident from a 466% increase in built-up area from 1973 to 2007.

• Drainage network analyses shows breakage in interconnectivity due to urbanisation
• Water quality monitoring indicates most of water bodies in Bangalore are polluted compared to the standards of inland surface waters.
• Developed techniques for restoration and conservation of lakes and wetlands.