Page 66 - Mann Ki Baat January, 2023

India Leading the World in Wetland

Conservation

Dr. Virendra R. Tiwari Dr. Gopi G.V. Dr. S.A. Hussain
Director, Wildlife Institute of India Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India Scientist-G, Wildlife Institute of India

India, one of the megadiverse agricultural crops, fishes and
countries harbouring 4 other aquatic creatures that are
biodiversity hotspots, has food for humans (Productive
numerous wetland types in service); purifying and filtering
various shapes and sizes. Indian harmful waste, and gases,
wetlands are known for their pollutants from water, absorbing
diversity as they are distributed carbon from the atmosphere
in all of the 10 biogeographic thereby fighting climate
zones. Wetlands range from high change (Supporting service);
altitude lakes such as the Tso Kar replenishing the groundwater
of Ladakh in Trans-Himalayas, and providing habitat for a
the largest freshwater lake in Asia number of species, enriching
Loktak of Manipur, flood plains the soil (Regulatory service);
of Ganga and Brahmaputra, place of recreation and tourist
saline lake like Sambhar in attraction, cultural identity and
Rajasthan, backwaters like spiritual importance (Cultural
Vembanad in Kerala, and tanks service).
of Tamil Nadu like Vedanthangal, They are sometimes
Koonthankulam, swamps such described as "the kidneys of
as Myristica swamps of the the landscapes" because of
Western Ghats, mangroves and the functions they perform in
mud flats of Sunderban in West hydrologic and chemical cycles
Bengal, coral reefs along the and because they function as
west and east coast of India, etc. the downstream receivers of
Wetlands are vital for wastes from both natural and
human well-being as they human sources.
provide numerous ecosystem Wetlands have also been
services in different ways such called "biological supermarkets"
as being a natural habitat for for the extensive food chain

62
62
62