Kathmandu, 2 February: World Wetlands Day, celebrated every year on February 2nd, is being celebrated in Nepal with the slogan ‘Conserving Wetlands for Our Common Future’ and various programs. This year’s slogan emphasizes the future interrelationship between wetlands and human life.
Wetlands refer to marshes and areas where water is stagnant, including water sources. Lakes, ponds, ponds, rivers, streams, waterfalls, rice fields, etc. are included in wetlands. Wetlands, which are important natural sites in terms of biodiversity, provide habitat for various species of animals and plants and also provide a source of livelihood for humans.
This day is celebrated to protect and promote wetlands. However, in Nepal, due to the recent changes in weather and encroachment of human activities due to the effects of climate change, wetlands are becoming limited. Their area and quality are decreasing day by day. Wetlands in some places have even disappeared.
Apart from this, increasing population and migration in the wetlands, dumping of waste in and around rivers, poverty and unemployment, transformation of traditional agricultural systems, overexploitation of wetland resources, encroachment of alien invasive species, adulteration of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and haphazard infrastructure construction have added challenges.
Due to lack of public awareness and lack of information, human activities are increasing encroachment on wetlands. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation of the Ministry of Forests and Environment has been unveiling banners with slogans on the hoarding boards at the entrance of the forest premises on the occasion of the day. Apart from this, the provincial forest ministries, protected areas and division forest offices are celebrating the day by organizing various programs at their respective levels, the department’s Deputy Director General Bed Kumar Dhakal informed RSS.
The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, with the aim of conserving and enhancing wetlands worldwide. World Wetlands Day was started to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention on 2 February.
“Rainfall is also decreasing due to the effects of climate change. Water resources in the wetlands have been decreasing recently. Everyone is emphasizing on the use of rivers, but there is a dilemma over who is responsible for their conservation,” said Deputy Director General Dhakal. “Some municipalities are dumping waste in rivers and streams, and this needs the attention of all three levels of government. Investment in ‘water harvesting’ is necessary to protect wetlands.” He informed that the department is protecting existing ponds and constructing new ponds for wetland conservation.
The Ramsar Convention designates wetlands of international importance that are home to highly sensitive, endangered and threatened biological species or ecological communities as Ramsar sites. So far, the number of countries that have signed up to it has reached 172. In addition, 2,422 wetlands are listed on the Ramsar List. Nepal became a party to the Ramsar Convention on 17 April 1988 by listing the Koshitappu Wildlife Sanctuary as a Ramsar site on 17 December 1987.
The Ramsar List currently lists Nepal’s Koshi Tappu, Ghodaghodi Lake area, Jagdishpur Reservoir, Bisahajari and surrounding lakes, Rara Lake, Phoksundo Lake, Gosaikunda and surrounding lakes, Gokyo and surrounding lakes, Maipokhari and various lakes in the Pokhara Valley. The total area covered by these wetlands is 60,561 hectares. Wetlands are one of the most biodiverse habitats in the world and are also home to many endangered species. 40 percent of the world’s plant and wildlife species live or breed in wetlands.
Wetlands are an important habitat for millions of migratory birds, fish, amphibians, insects and plants. Similarly, 172 endangered species of plants and animals found in Nepal are dependent on wetlands. According to the department, out of 878 species of birds found in Nepal, 193 species of birds, 17 species of animals out of 20 species of vertebrates and 25 percent of 7,000 species of plants depend on wetlands. Similarly, 246 native flowering plant species depend on wetlands.
Wetlands under the impact of climate change and encroachment
The effects of climate change have been rapidly emerging in the world in recent times. Moreover, in sensitive landforms and mountainous countries like Nepal, the effects of climate change are becoming more direct and severe. For some time now, along with climate change, there have been extensive changes in the lakes, ponds, rivers, and wetlands that are wetlands in Nepal. Experts in this field say that the decrease in overall rainfall, the increase in dry areas, and the growth of invasive species of plants have also led to the shrinkage or decline in the quality of wetlands.
According to Madhu Ghimire, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry’s Department of Environment, the challenge has been compounded by the increase in dry areas due to the effects of climate change and the overexploitation of natural resources. “Overexploitation of wetlands, land encroachment, pollution, haphazard infrastructure construction, and lack of maintenance of water sources and swamp areas have posed challenges in the conservation and management of wetlands,” he said.
Wetlands cover about nine percent of the world’s land area and about five percent of Nepal’s land area. There are wetlands of international importance in the Terai, hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal. According to the World Conservation Union Nepal, there are 163 wetlands in Nepal in the Terai and 79 wetlands in the mountainous and hilly regions.
Wetlands also provide an environmental protection shield by mitigating the effects of climate change and land degradation. In recent years, wetlands have become a destination for ecotourism, providing opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife viewing, as well as providing an experience of natural beauty.
Badriraj Dhungana, Director General of the Department of Forest and Soil Conservation, informed that the Ministry of Forests has taken forward various programs and policies related to wetland conservation in coordination with the provincial and local levels, keeping in mind the challenges faced by the wetlands. Wetlands are also called the kidneys of nature as the process of water mobilization and purification continues through the action and reaction of water and land in wetlands.
“Wetlands provide goods and services as well as protect water resources. Wetlands are also important in maintaining water quality, regulating the water cycle and climate, and balancing temperature. Therefore, everyone’s cooperation is necessary in its conservation,” said Director General Dhungana.
He informed that the government has made various legal and policy arrangements for the protection of wetlands. The Ministry of Forests has stated that Nepal has been committed to the protection, promotion and management of wetlands through policies and laws including the Constitution, Water Resources Conservation Act-2049, Local Government Operation Act-2074, Environment Conservation Act-2076, Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Act-2017, National Wetland Policy-2069 and periodic plans and the National Ramsar Strategy and Action Plan (2018-24).
