A wetland is a place where the land is covered by water, either salt, fresh or somewhere in

between. Marshes and ponds, the edge of a lake or ocean, the delta at the mouth of a river, lowlying areas that frequently floodall of these are wetlands.
The destruction of wetlands is a concern because they are some of the most productive habitats
on the planet. They often support high concentrations of animalsincluding mammals, birds, fish
and invertebratesand serve as nurseries for many of these species. Wetlands also support the
cultivation of rice, a staple in the diet of half the worlds population. And they provide a range of
ecosystem services that benefit humanity, including water filtration, storm protection, flood control
and recreation.
It is speculated that upwards of half of the worlds wetlands have disappeared since 1900,
despite their value to the human population. In some places the pace of wetlands destruction
occurs at incredible speeds. In the Philippines, 80% of coastal wetlands have been degraded,
drained or destroyed in the last 30 years. Without wetlands, human communities lose many of
the vital services that they provide, including water purification, flood control, and food supply.
WWF, governments and other organizations have pursued efforts to conserve and protect
wetlands for more than 40 years through the Ramsar Convention, the only international treaty
devoted to a single ecosystem type
Ramsar Convention on Wetland
The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty
which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the
conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 158 Contracting
Parties to the Convention, with 1758 wetland sites, totaling 161 million hectares, designated for
inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Ramsar Convention is the
only global environment treaty dealing with a particular ecosystem.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was developed as a means to call international attention to
the rate at which wetland habitats were disappearing, in part due to a lack of understanding of
their important functions, values, goods and services.
In addition, many wetlands are international systems lying across the boundaries of two or more
countries, or are part of river basins that include more than one country. The health of these and
other wetlands is dependent upon the quality and quantity of the transboundary water supply
from rivers, streams, lakes, or underground aquifers. This requires framework for international
discussion and cooperation toward mutual benefits.
More than 476,000 acres of wetland have been protected through this treaty, saving them and
their services for future generations.

Wetlands in India occupy 58.2 million ha, including areas under wet paddy cultivation . The
majority of the inland wetlands are directly or indirectly dependent on the major rivers like Ganga,
Bhramaputra, Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri and Tapti. They occur in the hot arid regions
of Gujarat and Rajasthan, the deltaic regions of the east and west coasts, highlands of central
India, wet humid zones of south peninsular India and the Andaman and Nicobar and
Lakshwadeep Island.

Government of India opertionalized National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP) in

closed collaboration with concerned State Government during the year 1985/86. Under the
programme 115 wetlands have been identified till now by the Ministry which requires urgent
conservation and management initiatives.
Aim of the Scheme
Conservation and wise use of wetlands in the country so as to prevent their further degradation.
Objectives of the Scheme
The scheme was initiated with the following objectives:to lay down policy guidelines for conservation and management of wetlands in the country;
to undertake intensive conservation measures in priority wetlands;
to monitor implementation of the programme; and
to prepare an inventory of Indian wetlands.

Proposed funding pattern under the Scheme

Financial assistance under NWCP is provided for two components i.e. Management Action Plan
(MAP) and Research Projects. Under the Scheme, 100% assistance is provided for activities.
Conservation and management of wetlands is primarily vested with the State/UTs, who are in
physical possession of the area. After identification of wetlands under the Scheme, the State/UTs
are to submit long-term comprehensive Management Action Plans (MAPs) for a period of 3-5
years, preferably 5 years, coinciding with the Plan period.
The State Governments are advised to define objectives taking into consideration factors
responsible for degradation of the wetland. The MAP should also have short-term objectives to
cater to immediate problems confronting wetlands and to go in for immediate rectification
measures. The comprehensive MAP should be based on integrated and multi-disciplinary
approach. These are scrutinized and approved by the Central Government with such changes as
necessary in accordance with the Rules, procedures, and priorities of the particular area and
availability of funds. After the approval of MAP, funds are released annually to the State/UTs as
per Annual Plan of Operation (APOs) submitted to the Central Government.
Wetlands conservation in India is indirectly influenced by an array of policy and legislative
measures (Parikh and Parikli,1999). Some Of the key legislation is given below :The Indian Fisheries Act - 1857
The Indian Forest Act - 1927
Wildlife (Protection) Act - 1972
Water (Prevention and Control of Pol1ution)Act - 1974
Territorial Water, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other
Marine Zones Act - 1976
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act - 1977

Maritime Zone of India.(Regulation and fishing by foreign vessels) Act 1980

Forest (Conservation Act) - 1980
Environmental (Protection) Act - 1986
Coastal Zone Regulation Notification - 1991
Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act - 1991
National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and I Development - 1992
National Policy And Macro level Action Strategy on Biodiversity-1999

Way Forward
It is noteworthy that even a small country like UK could designate 161 wetlands as Ramsar Sites,
India being a mega-diversity country, so far managed to delineate a mere twenty six sites to date.
There is obviously much ground to be covered in our conservation efforts for wetlands. In
addition, a paradigm shift in our conservation ethic is also a strong need of the hour. Because
wetlands are a common property resource, it is an uphill task to protect or conserve the
ecosystems unless the principal stakeholders are involved in the process. Regular studies on the
status of the regular wetlands and that of those wetlands which are considered to be under threat
have to be taken. The dynamic nature of wetlands necessitates the widespread and consistent
use of satellite-based remote sensors and low-cost, affordable GIS tools for effective
management and monitoring.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ramsar_sites_in_India