Wetlands As A National Public Good

The World Wetlands Day 2026 was observed on February 2 under the theme “Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage”.

Significance of wetlands

• Traditional Water Management Systems: In Tamil Nadu, cascading networks of human-made tanks or kulams regulated floods, recharged groundwater, and supported paddy cultivation.
• Wetlands as Cultural Spaces: In Wayanad, Kerala, shallow wells known as kenis, built over 200 years ago, continue to support drinking water needs, rituals, and festivals.
• Livelihood-Linked Wetlands: In Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, wetlands underpin traditional fishing practices, illustrating the close linkage between ecological systems and local economies

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The Crisis of Wetland Loss

• Scale of Decline: India has lost nearly 40% of its wetlands in the last 30 years, and around 50% of the remaining wetlands are ecologically degraded.
• Perception Problem: Wetlands are often treated as “wastelands” rather than “wealth lands” despite their role in flood control, water purification, biodiversity conservation, and livelihoods.
• Implementation Deficit: India has multiple frameworks, including the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, CRZ regulations, NPCA guidelines, and international commitments under the Ramsar Convention.
  • The central challenge is not a lack of laws but weak enforcement, delayed notification, fragmented governance, and poor coordination.

Major Threats to Wetlands

• Interrupted Hydrological Flow: Dams, embankments, sand mining and groundwater over-extraction prevent freshwater and sediments from reaching wetlands.
• Urbanisation and Pollution: Untreated sewage, industrial effluents and agricultural runoff cause eutrophication, leading to algal blooms, oxygen depletion and biodiversity loss.
• Coastal Squeeze: Rising sea levels, combined with port development, tourism, and settlement growth, trap mangroves between landward development and seaward encroachment.
• Encroachment and Land Conversion: Infrastructure expansion, real estate development and road networks have erased large areas of natural wetlands.
• Institutional Capacity Constraints: State Wetland Authorities often face staff shortages, funding gaps, and a lack of technical expertise in hydrology, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and legal enforcement.

Way Forward

• Recognise Wetlands as Nature-Based Infrastructure: Wetlands should be treated as critical infrastructure for flood control, groundwater recharge, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
• Adopt Catchment-Scale Governance: Wetlands must be managed as integral parts of entire watersheds and river systems, including feeder channels, floodplains and recharge zones.
• Revive and Integrate Traditional Wisdom: Indigenous systems such as Tamil Nadu’s kulams and Kerala’s kenis should be revived and adapted using modern scientific inputs.
• Ensure Treated Inflows and Pollution Control: Urban wetlands must receive only treated wastewater, as wetlands cannot substitute for sewage treatment plants.
• Build Capacity through Science and Skills: A national capacity mission should train officials in hydrology, GIS and remote sensing, restoration ecology, environmental law, and community-based governance, supported by technology-enabled monitoring and validated traditional knowledge.

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Conclusion

India’s wetland crisis reflects governance and capacity failures, not a knowledge gap. Integrating traditional wisdom with modern science can restore wetlands as engines of water security, biodiversity and climate resilience.

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