Overview of coastal wetlands

Presented by: Pema khandu thungon

FRM- MA02-2

Definition as per Ramsar convention

• ‘Wetlands are area of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing , fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.’

Global scenario

• World wetland area: 8.6 million sq. km• tropical : 2.6 million sq km• sub-tropical : 2.1 “• Temperate : 1 “• Boreal : 2.6 “ • Polar region : 0.2 “• Wetlands are ubiquitous • Largest wetland in world : the Amazon river &

west Siberian plains

Wetlands of India• types : Inland & coastal wetlands• Total area-152,60,572 ha• Inland :105,64,899 ha • Coastal :41,40,116 ha• Wetlands (<2.25 ha) :5,55,557 ha

• Inland wetlands : Lake/ pond,Ox-bow lake, Cut-off meander, High altitude wetland, Riverine wetland, Waterlogged (Natural), River/ Stream ,Reservoir/ Barrage,Tank/ Pond, Salt pan &Wetland (<2.25 ha)

Coastal wetland

• Definition : they are those wetlands that are within , along ,or near tidally – influenced water bodies. Their source of water may be salt , fresh or both ( brackish).

• Estimated area: 4.1 million ha.• Natural “ : 3.7 million ha• Man made “ : 0.4 “

Types :1) Natural ; • Estuary• Lagoon• Creek• Backwater (Kayal)• Bay• Tidal flat/Split/Bar• Coral reef• Rocky coast• Mangrove forest• Salt marsh/marsh vegetation• Other vegetation

2) Man - made ;

• Salt pans• Aquaculture• The most dominant type of wetland is inter-

tidal mud flats (2.39 Mha) occupying around 24.7 % of total wetland area. The other major coastal wetlands are mangrove (471407 ha), aquaculture pond (284589 ha), lagoon (246044 ha), creek (206698 ha), salt pan (148913 ha) and coral reef (142003 ha).

Wetland area summary of Coastal States/UTs (Area in ha)

Sr no

State Inland wetland area Coastal wetland area Total wetland area

1 West Bengal 886090 221817 1107907

2 Orissa 525248 165656 690904

3 Gujarat 667899 2807051 3474950

4 Daman & Diu 603 1465 2068

5 Maharashtra 907816 106706 1014522

6 Andhra Pradesh 1038787 408346 1447133

7 Karnataka 635289 8287 643576

8 Goa 12851 8486 21337

9 Lakshadweep - 79586 79586

10 Kerala 119714 40876 160590

11 Tamil Nadu 780161 122373 902534

12 Puducherry 4264 2071 6335

13 Andaman &

Nicobar Islands

7006 145803 152809

Total 5585728 4118523 9704251

Estuary

• It is a ecotone or buffer zone between fresh water of the rivers or streams and the salt water of the sea.

• Total area : 1.44 million ha• They provide rich feeding grounds for coastal

fish and migratory birds, and spawning areas for fish and shellfish.

• Detritus food chain are most common• Productivity is from marsh grasses(zostera,

spartina, etc), mangrove plants and weeds

ESTUARIES OF INDIA• EAST COAST ESTUARIES 1. Hooghly estuary

2. Rushikulya estuary 3. Bahuda estuary 4. Mahanadi estuary5. Godavari and Krishna estuaries 6. Gosthani estuary 7. Kandaleru estuary 8. Swarnamukhi and Konderu estuaries 9. Araniar estuary 10. Ennore estuary11. Cooum estuary12. Adyar estuary 13. Muttukadu backwaters14. Edaiyur - Sadras estuarine complex 15. Uppanar estuary 16. Vellar estuary 17. Kollidam (Coleroon) estuary 18. Kaveri (Cauvery) estuary 19. Agniar estuary 20. Kallar estuary 21. Pinnakayal and Pullavazhi estuaries 22. Athankarai and Kanjirangudi estuaries 23. Kottakkarai, Uppar, Vaigai, Kottakkudy and Thengapattanam estuaries

• WEST COAST ESTUARIES

24. Ashtamudi estuary 25. Kadinamkulam estuar426. Estuaries of Kochi 27. Korapuzha estuary28. Beypore estuary 29. Olipuram Kadavu backwaters 30. Edava-Nadayara and Paravur backwaters31. Poonthura estuary 32. Puthuponnani and Chandragiri estuaries 33. Shiriya, Thotapally and Pozhikara estuaries 34. Netravathi and Gurupur estuaries 35. Mulki estuary 36. Pavenje estuary 37. Gangolli estuary 38. Kali estuary 39. Mandovi - Zuari estuarine complex 40. Estuaries of Mumbai 41. Waghotana estuary 42. Vashishti estuary 43. Purna estuary 44. Mahi estuary 45. Damaganga - Kolak river estuaries46. Par river estuary 47. Ambika-Kaveri-Kareira estuarine complex 48. Mindola river estuary 49. Tapti and Narmada river estuaries 50. Auranga estuary

Hoogly – matlah estuary• Largest among the estuaries of India covering the

Gangetic delta called Sunderbans in West Bengal• Total area is 8029sq. Km• Ropnagar and Damodar rivers are the main

tributaries of this estuary• Wetland areas include flood plain lakes,swamps &

bheries(91392 nos)• Biotic community:• Phytoplankton:-Bacillariophyceae, chlorophycea &

Myxophyceae are principal groups

• Fishery:• 172 species recorded of it 73 are fresh water

& 99 are saline • Main species are Hilsa, bombay duck, Pama

pama, Setipinna spp., Trihurus Spp, & penaeid prawn

• prawn: Penaeus monodon, P. indicus, Metapenaeus brevicornis,M . monoceros, Parapenaeopsis sculptilis, P. stylifera & Macrobrachium spp.

Lagoons

• Shallow coastal water body remains disconnected with the bay during major parts of the year

• A lagoon may or may not be subject to tidal mixing, and salinity can vary from that of a coastal fresh-water lake to a hyper saline lagoon, depending on the hydrologic balance

• A number of lagoons are distributed all along the East and the West Coasts of India- 17 noteworthy lagoons in Indian coast with 8 on the east and 9 on the west.

•The 8 important coastal lagoons in the east are: 1) Chilka Lagoon 2) Pulicat lagoon 3) Pennar lagoon 4) Bendi lagoon 5) Nizampatnam lagoon 6) Muttukadu Lagoon 7) Muthupet lagoon and 8) Gulf of Mannar Lagoon.

• The 9 important coastal lagoons in the West are: 1) Vembanand lagoon 2) Ashtamudi Lagoon 3) Paravur lagoon 4) Ettikulum Lagoon 5) Veli lagoon 6) Murkumpuzha lagoon 7) Talapady lagoon8) Lagoons of Bombay coast and 9) Lakshadweep Lagoons (Kavaratti and Minicoy Lagoon).

Chilika lake

• It is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Orissa state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 sq. km. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the World

• Over a million migratory waterfowl and shorebirds winter here.

• Over 400 vertebrate species have been recorded.• As an estuarine lagoon, it supports a unique assemblage of

marine, brackish and freshwater species.• Several rare and endangered species are found in the region.• The lake supports fisheries that are the lifeline of the people

•Fisheries – 217 spp comprising 147 genera, 71 families and 15 orders

•Tenualosa ilisha , Mugil cephalus, Liza macrolepis, Lates calcarifer, Eleutheronema tetradactylum, Mystus gulio, Plotosus canius, Etroplus suratensis, Osteogeniosus millitaris,etc.

•Penaeus indicus, P. monodon, Metapenaeus dobsoni, M. monoceros

•Scylla serrata, Portunus sp.• In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first

Indian wetlands of International importance under the Ramsar convention

Awards

• In November 2002, the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award was presented to the Chilika Development Authority for "outstanding achievements in the field of restoration and wise use of wetlands and effective participation of local communities in these activities".

• The Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puruskar, constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India awarded the prestigious Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Award–2002 to the Chilika Development Authority for the outstanding contribution of conservation and restoration of the Chilika

Pulicat Lake :

• The major portion of Pulicat lake is located in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and the rest in Chingleput district of Tamil Nadu.

• Fisheries : A total of 65 species have been recorded comprising mainly the prawns forming the dominant group. The important species are P. indicus, P. monodon, P. semisulcatus, M. dobsoni, M. monoceros. Among the fishes, the mullets like Mugil cephalus, Liza parsia, L. tade are dominant. Other species like Hilsa kelee, Chanos chanos, catfishes, etc. also form the fishery. The fishery at present is contributed by 50% P. indicus , 20% mullets, others 30%. Annual average catch recorded from the lake was about 3892 tonnes in the year 2008-09.

Back waters

• The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala

• Area : 3.5 million ha• Used for transportation, fishing and

agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood in Kerala state in southern India

• Back waters: • Vembanad lake• Kadinamkulam• Achuthengu• Kayamkulam• Azhokode• Cheetuva• Ponnani• Kadalundi-Beypore• Mahe• Valapattanam• Naleswaram

Vembanad lake•Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India,• The Vembanad wetland system covers an area of over

1521.5 km²- a complex of 96km long backwaters, lagoons, marshes, mangroves and reclaimed lands

•Vembanad lake’s total area is 250 sq km•A total of 104 fish spp., 9 spp of shrimps and prawns

and 5 spp. Of molluscs•M. dobsoni, M. monoceros , P. indicus, Mugil cephalus,

M. parsia, Horabagrus brachysoma, Etroplus suratensis, Lates calcarifer, Chanos chanos, Anchovilla sp., silver bellies, threadfins, etc

• Molluscs include the black clam (Velorita cyprinoids; V. cornucopia), Mertrix meretrix, M. costa and Ostria calculata.

• The mussels, Perna viridis and P. indica and the brackish water oyster, Crassostrea madrasensis, occur abundantly in the backwaters and river mouths

Mangrove swamps

• found mostly in tropical region of muddy shore • West Bengal has 2,09,330 ha area under mangrove

followed by Gujarat (90,475 ha), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (66,101 ha), Andhra Pradesh(41,486 ha), Maharashtra (30,238 ha) and Orissa (23,395 ha).

• Aerial roots called pneumatophores • Fauna:-• Terrestrial : insects, birds ,reptiles, etc• Marine : rock oyster, bernacles, hermit crab, mud

skippers ( Boleaopthalmus boddaerit), mud lobster ( Thalassina sp.)

• The Indian mangroves comprise approximately 59 species in 41 genera and 29 families. Of these, 34 species belonging to 25 genera and 21 families are present along west coast

• about 25 mangrove species are restricted to east coast

• eight species of mangroves like Sonneratia caseolaris, Suaeda fruticosa, Urochondra setulosa etc. which have been reported only from the west coast.

• crustaceans like Penaeus indicus, P. merguiensis and P. monodon, while the crabs are represented by Uca sp. Scylla serrata, Thalassina, etc

• The fishes are represented by several species like the mud skippers, carangids, clupeids, serranids, mullets, seabass, milkfishLiza, Mugil, Lates, Polynemus, Sciaena, Setipinna, Pangasium, Hilsa Ilisha and Atroplus. etc.

• The famous Royal Bengal tiger and estuarine crocodile (Crocodilus porosus) and different kinds of monkeys, otters, deer's, fishing cats, snakes and wild pigs are also found

• they are favoured by a variety of birds, both migratory and resident

• Benthic community• Major groups represented by the benthic

organisms are molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, hydroids, actinarians, planarians, nematodes, polychaetes and larval forms of several other organisms.

• Pelagic community• species of fishes, crabs, crustaceans and

molluscs

• Flora :• Rhizophora mucronata, R. apiculata, Bruguiera

gymnorhiza, B. cylindrica, Lumnitzera sp. , Ceriops sp., Acanthus sp. , Avicennia marina, A. alba , Sonnneratia alba, & Sapetala sp.

• Conservation : • National mangrove committee ( NATMANCOM)- to

conserve , protect & restore• Mangroves have been categorized presently under

Ecological sensitive zone , in CRZ Act- no development activities will be allowed prior to EIA & Clearance from MoEF.

• Few are conserved as biosphere reserve for germplasm & wild life sanctuaries

Sundarbans Mangroves

• is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangroves forest in the world

• covering parts of Bangladesh and India.• Two-third of the Sundarbans is in Bangladesh while

rest one-third is in India• With 20,400 square kilometers (7,900 sq mi) of area

covered.• It contribute 44% of total mangrove forest in India &

endowed with 30 sp. out of 50 sp. in the world• The dominant mangrove species Heritiera fomes is

locally known as sundri or sundari

• . Besides the sundari, other species that make up the forest include Avicennia spp., Xylocarpus mekongensis, Xylocarpus granatum,Sonneratia apetala, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Cereops decandra, Aegiceras corniculatum, Rhizophora mucronata, and Nypa fruticans palms

• The Sundarbans National Park is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve

• endangered Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) besides it Fishing Cats, Macaques, wild boars, Common Grey Mongooses, Foxes, Jungle Cats,Flying Foxes, Pangolins, and spotted deer

• Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), as well as the Gharial(Gavialis gangeticus) and the Water monitor lizards (Varanus salvator)

• Ridley turtles, sea snakes, Dog Faced Water Snakes, Green Turtles, Estuarine Crocodiles, Chameleons, King Cobras,Salvator Lizards, Hard Shelled Batgun Terrapins, Russels Vipers, Mouse Ghekos, Monitor Lizards, Curviers, Hawks Bill Turtles, Pythons, Common Kraits, Chequered Killbacks and rat Snakes. The river terrapin (Batagur baska), Indian flap-shelled turtles (Lissemys punctata), peacock soft-shelled turtles (Trionyx hurum), yellow monitors (Varanus flavescens), water monitors (Varanus salvator), and Indian pythons (Python molurus) are some of the resident species.

• Endangered and extinct species: Royal Bengal Tigers, Estuarine Crocodile, Northern river terrapins (Batagur baska), Olive Ridley Turtles, Gangetic dolphin, Ground Turtles, Hawks Bill Turtles and King Crabs (Horse shoe)

Coral reefs• Dominant in shallow water • Total area under Coral reef is 1,42,003 ha.• Coral reefs are observed in Lakshdweep

(55,179 ha), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (49,378 ha), Gujarat (33,547 ha) and Tamil nadu (3,899 ha).

• true coral belongs to family Acroporidae• Symbiotic association with unicellular,

dinoflagellates ‘’Zooxanthellae’’ and also with bivalve called Tridacna

• Types of coral reefs :1. Fringing reefs- formed near shores2. Barrier reefs – away from shores3. Atolls - ring shaped reef encircling a lagoon • Reefs are home to a large variety of organisms,

including : fish, seabirds, sponges, cnidarians (which includes some types of corals and jellyfish) worms, crustaceans (including shrimp, cleaner shrimp, spiny lobsters and crabs), mollusks (including cephalopods),echinoderms (including starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers), sea squirts, sea turtles and sea snakes

• Fish spp. : Cleaner fish,damselfishes, parrotfish, groupers, horse mackerels, butterfly fish, barracudas and snappers , clown fish, squirrel fish, cardinal fish and lantern fish, angel fish, sea horse, coral trout, porcupine fish , etc

• Sharks & rays : whitetip reef sharks, gray reef sharks , tiger sharks, bull sharks, eagle rays & yellow sting rays

• Marine mammals : dugongs, dolphins and whales

Mud flats

• also known as tidal flats• It is a tract of low muddy land near an estuary;

covered at high tide and exposed at low tide• Mud flats are formed when sediment, carried

by rivers or the ocean, encounters a low-energy environment and settles to the bottom. Over a time, this sediment accumulates, making the area flatter and wider, which in turn encourages further sediment deposition.

• mud flats are valuable as habitat and feeding grounds for many species of wildlife.

• Eelgrass and diatoms are the main primary producers of mud flats

• Due to the high organic content of the mud, bacteria are very prevalent, even in the low-oxygen environment below the surface

• They perform a vital service in decomposing the plant matter and making it more digestible as food for other organisms

• The plentiful bacteria in mud flats help to break down contaminants from urban runoff, such as heavy metals, hydrocarbons (oil, gasoline, solvents) and other organic chemicals

• Invertebrates such as nematode worms and protozoa are present & feed on bacteria

• larger organisms such as crustaceans (e.g. amphipods, mud shrimp), mollusks (e.g. clams, snails, native oysters) and polychaete worms

• shorebirds found in mud flats include sandpipers, plovers, Lesser Yellowlegs, snipes, Longbilled Curlew, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Common Snipe. Great Blue Herons

• Bivalves: Cyrtopleura costata, the Atlantic giant cockle, Dinocardium robustum,the southern hard clam,Mercenaria campechiensis, the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, and the lucinid bivalve, Phacoides pectinata

• shrimp: Callianassa- the ghost shrimp, and Upogebia - the mud shrimp, as well as the stomatopods Coronis excavatrix, Lysiosquilla scabricauda and Lysiosquilla spp. are abundant

• Crab, Uca pugilator , the nine-armed starfish, Luidia senegalensis

• Fishes:• Acanthurus bahianus• Achirus lineatus• Acipenser brevirostrum• Albula vulpes• Anchoa mitchilli• Brevoortia spp.• Carcharhinus leucas• Carcharhinus limbatus• Centropomus parallels• Centropomus pectinatus• Centropomus

undecimalis• Cynoscion nebulosus• Cynoscion regalis• Cyprinodon variegatus• Dasyatis sabina• Etropus crossotus• Eucinostomus gula

• Eucinostomus spp.• Fundulus confluentus• Fundulus grandis• Gambusia affinis• Gerres cinereus• Ginglymostoma cirratum• Gobionellus oceanicus• Gobiosoma bosc• Halichoeres poeyi• Harengula clupeola• Harengula humeralis• Lachnolaimus maximus• Lagodon rhomboides• Leiostomus xanthurus• Lobotes surinamensis• Lucania parva• Lutjanus analis

• Lutjanus apodus• Lutjanus griseus• Megalops atlanticus• Mugil cephalus• Mugil curema• Paralichthys lethostigma• Poecilia latipinna• Pogonias cromis• Rhinoptera bonasus• Rivulus marmoratus• Sciaenops ocellatus• Sphyrna lewini• Sphyrna tiburo• Strongylura notata• Trachinotus carolinus• Trachinotus falcatus• Trinectes maculatus

Importance & function1. water storage – domestic, industrial &

agriculture2. Flood control3. water quality4. Shore line stabilization & soil erosion – mainly by

mangroves5. source of food6. Ecological benefits &7. Recreational benefits (swimming, diving,

tourism).

Threats to wetland1. Urbanization • Wetlands near urban centres are under increasing developmental pressure for residential,

industrial and commercial facilities. Urban wetlands are essential for preserving public water supplies.

2 Anthropogenic activities• Due to unplanned urban and agricultural development, industries, road construction,

impoundment, resource extraction and dredge disposal, wetlands have been drained and transformed, causing substantial economic and ecological losses in the long term.

3 Agricultural activities • Following the Green Revolution of the 1970s, vast stretches of wetlands have been converted

to paddy fields. Construction of a large number of reservoirs, canals and dams to provide for irrigation significantly altered the hydrology of the associated wetlands.

4 Hydrologic activities • Construction of canals and diversion of streams and rivers to transport water to lower arid

regions for irrigation has altered the drainage pattern and significantly degraded the wetlands of the region.

5 Deforestation• Removal of vegetation in the catchments leads to soil erosion and siltation

6 Pollution• Unrestricted dumping of sewage and toxic chemicals from industries

has polluted many freshwater wetlands 7 Salinization• Over withdrawal of groundwater has led to salinization 8 Aquaculture• Demand for shrimps and fishes have provided economic incentives to

convert wetlands and mangrove forests to develop pisciculture and aquaculture ponds.

9 Introduced species• Indian wetlands are threatened by exotic introduced plant species such

as water hyacinth and salvinia. They clog waterways and compete with native vegetation.

10 Climate change• Increased air temperature; shifts in precipitation; increased frequency

of storms, droughts, and floods; increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration; and sea level rise could also affect wetlands.

• at present wetlands are disappearing at the rate of 2 – 3 % every year.

• Indian mangroves have halved from 6,740sq km (1987) to 4,827sq km (1995).

• recent remote sensing shows only 4000sq. km

Conservation of wetland1. Legal framework :• Several legislations have been enacted which have

relevance to wetland conservation and are Forest Act, 1927, Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Water Cess Act, 1977 and the umbrella provision of Environment(Protection) Act, 1986

• Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991• declared as Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks.• The Biodiversity Act, 2002, and the Biodiversity Rules,

2004, are aimed at safeguarding the floral and faunal biodiversity

2.Policy Support: National Environment Policy (NEP), 2006:

• Set up a legally enforceable regulatory mechanism for identified valuable wetlands to prevent their degradation

• Formulate conservation strategies by participation of local communities, and other relevant stakeholders

• Formulate and implement eco-tourism strategies through multi-stakeholder partnerships involving public agencies, local communities and investors

3. Survey : • On different human activities, effect of both industrial and

domestic effluents• information obtained through remote sensing to be verified

with the ground truth data for getting proper results. 4. Institutional mechanism• It is imperative to have multi-disciplinary, holistic and

integrated approach for achieving long-term sustainable wetland conservation and management measures

• Department of Forests and/or Environment or Urban Development; in some others, it is the Department of Irrigation or Science and Technology or Fisheries.

• to reduce complexity, the State Steering Committees have been constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Secretaries of the States having members from all Departments concerned.

• Some States have already constituted Authorities for execution of wetland conservation programmes in their respective States. Notable among them are Chilika Development Authority in Orissa (mandated to manage all identified lakes in the State); Loktak Development Authority in Manipur; Shore Area Development Authorityin Andhra Pradesh; Lakes and Waterways Development Authority in Jammu and Kashmir; Lake Development Authority in Karnataka and Lake Conservation Authority in Madhya Pradesh.

5. Capacity building• need to have good infrastructure, trained people, and case

studies to teach values and functions of wetlands in an integrated and multi-disciplinary manner.

• several training programmes have been conductedin collaboration with different academic organizations/research institutes/State Governments/international NGOs to impart training on various components of wetland conservation which include wise use, catchment area treatment, weed control,hydrological aspects, research methodology, preparation of management action plans and community participation.

• A National Training Programme for Integrated Water Resource Management and Wetland Conservation was organized during 7-11 August 2006 by Chilika Development Authority with the financial support from Ministry of Environment and Forests

6. Community Participation• No decision-making is complete without participation

of local people whose livelihoods depend on wetland resources

• Participatory Rural Appraisal exercise involving local communities should be the main ingredient of community participation

7. Assistance• given by Ministry at 100% grant basis• on Survey and Assessment, Catchment Area

Treatment, Protection and Monitoring, Restoration Measures , Biodiversity Conservation, Pollution Control, Environmental Education and Awareness, etc

Ramsar convention• Ramsar is a city in Iran where the first World

Convention on Wetlands was held on 2nd February 1971.

• It is a intergovernmental treaty, which provides the framework for national action & international co-operation for conservation & wise use of wetlands & their resource.

• 162 Contracting Parties to the Convention, who have designated more than 2046 wetland sites throughout the world.

• 2nd February - world wetland day

• sites under Ramsar

1. Ashtamudi wetland, Kerala 2. Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Orissa3. Bhoj Wetland, Madhya Pradesh4. Chandra Taal, Himachal Pradesh 5. Chilika Lake, Orissa6. Deepor Beel, Assam 7. East Calcutta Wetlands, West Bengal8. Harike Wetland, Punjab9. Hokersar Wetland, Jammu and

Kashmir10. Kanjli Wetland, Punjab11. Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan12. Kolleru Lake, Andhra Pradesh13. Loktak Lake, Manipur14. Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird

Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu

15. Pong Dam Lake, Himachal Pradesh16. Renuka Wetland, Himachal Pradesh17. Ropar, Punjab18. Rudrasagar Lake, Tripura19. Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan20. Sasthamkotta Lake, Kerala21. Surinsar-Mansar Lakes, Jammu and

Kashmir22. Thrissur Kole Wetlands,Kerala23. Tsomoriri Jammu and Kashmir24. Upper Ganga River (Brijghat to

Narora Stretch) Uttar Pradesh25. Vembanad-Kol Wetland ,Kerala26. Wular Lake, Jammu and Kashmir

Montreux Record

• Montreux Record is a list of such wetland sites maintained by Ramsar Convention Secretariat where changes in ecological character have occurred or are likely to occur as a result of pollution and other anthropogenic activities.

• It highlights the action to be taken for management of these wetlands on priority basis.

Thank you….