The estuary of the Aghanashini River in Uttara Kannada is one of the ruins of Ramsar. |Picture source: File Photo
Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Wetlands Convention, said on Sunday that India has more Ramsar sites than China.
Dr. Mumba, who attended the Sinhasi Social Impact Conference 2-Wetland Conservation and Climate Change, said India now has 89 Ramsar sites, more than China, with 82 locations.
“India now has 89 Ramsar sites, more than China, with 82 Ramsar sites. Wetland sites range from mountains to sea.”
Speaking about the importance of wetlands, she said they have great value, from which fresh water in almost all the world draws great value.
“Wetlands are the largest carbon shores in the world, they purify and filter harmful water, our food supply depends on wetlands, extreme climate events are mitigated by wetlands, wetlands provide jobs and sustainable livelihoods, where almost all animal species survive and reproduce,” she said.
Regarding the challenges they face and the importance of the Ramsar site, she said there are 2500 locations around the world covering 257 million hectares of land.
She added: “The challenge of wetlands is that they have been historically used as wastelands; therefore, they are lost at a shocking rate. Since 1700, about 87% of wetlands have been lost. Since 1970, about 35% of wetlands have been lost.”
She further pointed out that wetlands are losing three times faster than tropical forests.
“About 4,875 species that depend on wetlands are threatened with extinction worldwide. More than 80% of wastewater is released into wetlands and act immediately to stop this,” she said.
Other chief conservator of the Karnataka Forest Department of Kumar Pushkar spoke during this period saying that according to the National Wetland Atlas in 2021, Karnataka has 14,936 wetlands covering 14.9 million hectares, accounting for 4.1% of the state’s geographical area.
“With the population growth in the state, especially in Bangladesh cities and nearby castle areas such as Doddaballapur, the demand for water increases mobility. This, along with the dry or polluting nature of the water bodies, has created high pressure on the underground water levels of the city, and now its location in many areas is found in Karnataka,” he said.
He added that the state’s wetland geographic area has not changed much, which is a good indicator.
publishing – April 20, 2025 at 10:15 pm IST
