The Civil Analyst

  On January 30, 2019 the Indian Sundarbans was accorded the status of Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Sundarbans comprises of hundreds of Islands and a network of rivers, tributaries and creeks in the delta of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal of India and Bangladesh. Indian Sundarbans constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area. It is the 27 th Ramsar site in India and the largest protected wetland in the country. Ten more site has been accorded the status of Wetlland of Internattioal Importance ( Read here ). About Ramsar Convention The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, better known as the Ramsar Convention is an international agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is the only global treaty to focus on a single ecosystem. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Traditionally viewe...

Wetlands are lands area where for most of the year the water level remains above or near the ground surface. The relationship between humans and wetlands is very ancient as the first signs of civilization originating in wetland habitats such as the Indus flood plains, t he Nile Delta and the Fertile Crescent of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Wetlands are very significant for humans, for ecosystems and for our climate and form a vital part of nature. They are more often called as the “ Kidneys of the Earth ” providing many essential ecosystem services such as water regulation, flood control and water purification. Wetlands also play an important role in mitigating global heating and pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide. Wetlands cover only around 6% area of earth’s land surface and home for 40% of all plant and animal species. Now, there is a need to worry as they are vanishing at a faster rate than forests just because of human activities and global warming. Thus, to conserve this v...