Wetlands in India List, Map, Types, Importance and Threats

Wetlands in India

Wetlands are regions where water plays a major role in regulating the surrounding ecosystem, along with the plant and animal life that it supports. Where the water table is at or close to the surface of the land, or where the land is submerged in water, they develop.

Wetlands are characterized as “lands bridging terrestrial and aquatic eco-systems when the water table is typically at or near the surface or the land are covered by shallow water.”

List of Wetlands in India

Here is the List of Wetlands in India

S. No.	State/Union Territory	Wetland	Year of identification
1	Andhra Pradesh	Kolleru	1987
2	Assam	Deepar Beel	1994
		Urpad Beel	2006
		Sone Beel	2008
3	Bihar	Kabar	1988
		Barilla	2004
		Kusheshwar Asthan	2004
4	Gujarat	Nalsarovar	1988
		Great Rann of Kachh	2004
		Thol Bird Sanctuary	2004
		Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary	2004
		Little Rann of Kachh	2004
		Pariej	2004
		Wadhwana	2004
		Nanikakrad	2004
5	Haryana	Sultanpur	2004
		Bhindawas	2004
6	Himachal Pradesh	Renuka	1988
		Pong Dam	1994
		Chandratal	1997
		Rewalsar	2004
		Khajjiar	2006
7	Jammu & Kashmir	Wullar	1987
		Tso Morari	2002
		Tisgul Tso & Chisul Marshes	2002
		Hokersar	2002
		Mansar-Surinsar	2002
		Ranjitsagar	2004
		Pangong Tsar	2002
		Gharana	2008
		Hygam	2008
		Mirgund	2008
		Shalbugh	2008
		Chushul & Hanley	2008
8	Jharkhand	Udhwa	2005
		Tilaiya Dam	2006
9	Karnataka	Magadhi	2004
		Gudavi Bird Sanctuary	2004
		Bonal	2004
		Hidkal  & Ghataprabha	2004
		Heggeri	2006
		Ranganthittu	2006
		K.G. Koppa wetland	2006
10	Kerala	Ashtamudi	1987
		Sasthamkotta	1988
		Kottuli	2005
		Kadulandi	2005
		Vembnad Kol	2005
11	Madhya Pradesh	Barna	2004
		Yashwant  Sagar	2004
		Wetland of Ken River	2004
		National Chambal Sanctuary	2004
		Ghatigaon	2004
		Ratapani	2004
		Denwa Tawa wetland	2004
		Kanha Tiger Reserve	2004
		Pench Tiger Reserve	2004
		Sakhyasagar	2004
		Dihaila	2004
		Govindsagar	2005
		Sirpur	2008
12	Maharashtra	Ujni	1987
		Jayakawadi	2006
		Nalganga wetland	2006
13	Manipur	Loktak	1987
14	Meghalaya	Umiam lake	2008
15	Mizoram	Tamdil	2004
		Palak	2004
16	Odisha	Chilika	1987
		Kuanria wetland	2006
		Kanjia wetland	2006
		Daha wetland	2006
		Anusupa	2008
17	Punjab	Harike	1987
		Ropar	1992
		Kanjli	1988
		Nangal	2008
18	Rajasthan	Sambhar	1987
19	Sikkim	Khechuperi  Holy Lake	2006
		Tamze Wetland	2006
		Tembao Wetland Complex	2006
		Phendang  Wetland Complex	2006
		Gurudokmar Wetland	2006
		Tsomgo wetland	2006
20	Tamil Nadu	Point Calimere	2003
		Kaliveli	2004
		Pallaikarni	2004
21	Tripura	Rudrasagar	1998
		Gumti reservoir	2008
22	Uttar Pradesh	Nawabganj	2004
		Sandi	2004
		Lakh Bahoshi	2004
		Samaspur	2004
		Alwara Wetland	2006
		Semarai Lake	2006
		Nagaria   lake	2006
		Keetham  Lake	2006
		Shekha wetland	2006
		Saman Bird Sanctuary	2006
		Sarsai Nawar	2006
		Patna Bird Sanctuary	2008
		Chandotal	2008
		Taal Bhaghel	2008
		Taal Gambhirvan & Taal Salona	2008
		Aadi jal Jeev Jheel	2008
23	Uttarakhand	Ban Ganga Jhilmil Tal	2004
		Asan	2008
24	West Bengal	East Kolkata Wetland	2002
		Sunderbans	2003
		Ahiron Beel	2004
		Rasik Beel	2004
		Santragachi	2005
		Patlakhawa-  Rasomati	2008
25	Chandigarh (UT)	Sukhna	2006
26	Puducherry ( UT)	Ousteri lake	2008

Types of Wetlands in India

Coastal Wetlands

Coastal wetlands can be found in places like shorelines, beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs that are between the land and the ocean but are not affected by rivers. The mangrove wetlands that can be found in protected tropical coastal locations are a good example.

Shallow lakes and ponds

These wetlands are regions with little flow and persistent or semi-permanent water. Vernal ponds, spring pools, salt lakes, and volcanic crater lakes are among them.

Marshes

These are characterised by herbaceous (non-woody) flora that is acclimated to moist soil conditions and are occasionally saturated, flooded, or ponded by water. Tidal marshes and non-tidal marshes are further classifications for marshes.

Swamps

Trees and shrubs predominate above them, which are mostly nourished by surface water sources. Swamps can be found in saltwater or freshwater floodplains.

Bogs

Bogs are wet peat soils found in former lake basins or other natural depressions. Bogs receive almost all of their water from rainfall.

Estuaries

A very diverse range of biodiversity can be found in the region where rivers meet the sea and the water transitions from fresh to salt. These wetlands consist of salt marshes, tidal mudflats, and deltas.

Total Number of Wetlands in India

On the occasion of Independence Day, India classified 11 additional wetlands under the Ramsar Convention or the Convention on Wetlands, increasing the country’s total number of Ramsar Sites from 64 to 75 with a 13,26,677-hectare area coverage (ha).

Wetlands in India Map

Classification of Wetlands in India

There are two main classifications for wetlands:

Inland Wetlands

Inland wetlands are bodies of water and other areas that are frequently or continuously submerged in water as a result of poorly draining soils. Inland wetlands include places like marshes, ponds, lakes, fens, rivers, floodplains, and swamps.

Coastal Wetlands

The term “coastal wetlands” refers to all wetlands within coastal watersheds, which is the region from which tidal streams flow into the ocean or inland seas. Here are a few instances of coastal wetlands:

• Salt marshes
• Freshwater marshes
• Seagrass beds
• Mangrove swamps
• Forested swamps

Importance of Wetlands in India

Nearly two thirds of the world’s fish are caught in wetlands, which are very productive environments. The ecology of the watershed depends heavily on wetlands. The formation of organisms that serve as the foundation of the food web and provide food for numerous species of fish, amphibians, shellfish, and insects is made possible by the combination of shallow water and high amounts of nutrients.

Microbes, plants, and wildlife found in wetlands are involved in the world cycles of water, nitrogen, and sulphur. Instead of releasing carbon dioxide into the sky as carbon monoxide, wetlands store carbon within their plant communities and soil. Wetlands serve as natural barriers that hold back and gradually release floodwaters, rainwater, snowmelt, and surface water. Additionally, wetland vegetation minimizes soil erosion and flood heights by slowing down flood flows.

The survival of humans and the world depends on wetlands. 40% of all species on earth live and breed in wetlands, and more than a billion humans rely on them for their livelihood. Food, raw materials, genetic resources for pharmaceuticals, and hydropower are all crucially dependent on wetlands. They are crucial for transportation, tourism, and people’s cultural and spiritual wellbeing.

Many of them maintain a broad variety of life, supporting plants and animals that are unique to that area, and they serve as habitat for both animals and plants. Many wetlands are important to Aboriginal people and are regions of natural beauty that encourage tourism. Wetlands benefit industry in a significant way as well. For instance, they are essential to the commercial and recreational fishing sectors and provide as nurseries for fish and other freshwater and marine organisms.

Functions of Wetlands in India

Source of Water

Our principal source of fresh water comes from wetlands. Over 95% of all available freshwater is contained in aquifers, making it the most significant source of drinking water and agriculture. Numerous wetlands support groundwater recharging and precipitation absorption. Freshwater is utilized for irrigation, drinking, and residential purposes.

Flood and Storm Buffer Zone

Wetlands serve as a drought barrier and a flood buffer. In the upper reaches of a basin, wetlands function like sponges, soaking precipitation and snowmelt and allowing water to slowly seep into the soil. Coastal wetlands including mangroves, coral reefs, mudflats, and estuaries can act as physical barriers to reduce storm surges and tidal waves.

River floodplains serve as a kind of natural storage facility, distributing extra water across a wide area and lowering the depth and speed of the water. The shoreline is stabilized and erosion is prevented by coastal wetlands and mangroves. The entire coastline was devastated by the 1999 Kalinga super storm, which hit Odisha. Villages with mangroves were found to have fewer casualties when compared to those with little to no mangroves.

Wetland Products

Fish, one of the most significant sources of animal protein, is produced by nearly two-thirds of coastal wetlands. A variety of plants, animals, and minerals can be found in well-managed wetlands. More than 75 percent of Asia’s rice comes from wetlands. The Sundarbans are one of many mangrove swamps that generate honey. There are many different wetlands plants, and many of them have medicinal properties. Many people, especially those who live along their shorelines, depend on wetlands as a source of income.

Water Purifier

Wetlands help to purify water by encasing pollutants in plants and sediments. High levels of pollutants, such phosphorus and nitrogen, which are commonly linked to agricultural runoff, can be significantly reduced by wetlands.

Many wetland plants can get rid of the toxic substances that come from pesticides, industrial waste, and mining. Water hyacinth, duckweed, and azolla are examples of floating plants that can store iron and copper from wastewater in their tissues. On the other side, continual rubbish discharge that exceeds wetlands’ carrying capacity may cause environmental disasters.

Wetland for Research and Education

Wetlands are important locations for study and learning about aquatic ecosystems. They are perfect for multidisciplinary studies of nature-society connections due to their diversity of habitats, complexity of ecosystems, and wide-ranging social and cultural ties. Example: The Bhoj wetlands in Madhya Pradesh and the Bhitarkanika Mangroves in Odisha.

Recreation Property of Wetlands

Because of their natural beauty and variety of plant and animal life, wetlands provide ideal getaways. A recreation area is Mandawali village in New Delhi.

Combat Climate Change

Along with other ecosystems, wetlands are threatened by climate change. On the other hand, these ecosystems can assist in limiting and adapting to climate change. Some wetlands, like mangroves and salt marshes, act as carbon sinks, limiting the atmospheric influx of dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.

For the habitat of aquatic creatures affected by climate change, wetland conservation is especially important. Future predictions indicate that the water supply in wetlands will fluctuate more frequently. Wetlands’ essential capacities to absorb and store water as well as control floods and storms can help lessen the effects of climate change. Ashtamudi Wetlands in Kerala, Chilika Lake in Odisha, etc..

Habitats of Migratory Birds

Migratory birds stop over at wetland areas for feeding, resting, and building their nests. To avoid the harsh winters of the arctic and temperate zones, about 2,000 bird species regularly move thousands of kilometres between breeding and non-breeding locations throughout the year. Wetlands in India connect the East Australasian and Central Asian Flyways. Example: Ashtamudi marshes and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary Kerala.

Biodiversity Hotspots

A diversity of endemic and nearly extinct species can be found in certain wetlands. The grasslands and marshes of Assam are home to Kaziranga National Park, where more than 70% of the Great Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) population, which is endangered, is found. The Brow-antlered Deer’s sole known natural habitat is Keibul Lamjao, a floating national park south of Loktak (Rucervus eldii).

One of only two lagoons in the world where the endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins may be found, Chilika is home to a sizable number of them (Orcaella brevirostris). The largest remaining populations of the critically endangered Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) can be found in Central India along the River Son, Girwa, and Chambal. For instance, Tamil Nadu’s Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary.

Wetland Plants

The term “wetland plants” refers to plant species that are found in all forms of wetlands, either in or on the water’s surface or where the soil has been inundated or saturated for long enough for anaerobic conditions to arise in the root zone. Here is an illustration of a wetland plant:

• Swamp mahogany
• Swamp paperbark
• Swamp she-oak
• Shrubs like the swamp banksia,
• Tea trees and ferns

Threats to Wetlands in India

Urbanization

Wetlands close to metropolitan centers are increasingly being developed for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes. Urban wetlands are crucial for maintaining the availability of public water.

Agriculture

Numerous wetlands have been transformed into paddy fields. The hydrology of the nearby wetlands was considerably changed by the construction of numerous reservoirs, canals, and dams for irrigation purposes.

Pollution

Natural water filters are provided by wetlands. However, they are only able to remove fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural runoff and not other types of pollutants, such as mercury from industrial sources. Concern over how industrial pollution affects wetlands’ biological variety and drinking water supplies is on the rise.

Climate Change

Wetlands may also be impacted by rising sea levels, changes in precipitation patterns, more frequent storms, droughts, and floods, as well as increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.

Dredging

The removal of debris from a riverbed or marsh. The water table in the area is decreased and nearby wetlands is dried up by stream dredging.

Draining

By digging ditches into the earth, which collect and convey water out of the marsh, water can be removed from wetlands. The wetland dries up and the water table drops as a result.

Introduced Species

Indian wetlands are at danger from invasive, introduced plant species like salvinia and water hyacinth. They obstruct rivers and out compete local plants.

Stalinization

Stalinization was brought on by excessive groundwater extraction.

Wetlands in India FAQs

Q How many wetlands are in India?

Ans. India adds 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites to make total 75 Ramsar sites covering an area of 13,26,677 ha in the country in the 75^th year of Independence.

Q How many wetlands are there in India 2022?

Ans. On the occasion of Independence day, India has designated 11 more wetlands under the Ramsar Convention or the Convention on Wetlands, taking the total number of Ramsar sites in India to 75 from 64 with area coverage of 13,26,677 hectare (ha)

Q Where is the largest wetland in India?

Ans. The largest wetland in India is the Sunderbans. Sunderban Wetland is also a part of the largest mangrove forest in the world. It consists of hundreds of islands, a maze of rivers, creeks nestled in the delta of the Ganga River and Brahmaputra on the Bay of Bengal in India and Bangladesh.

Q Which is the 47th wetland in India?

Ans. Haiderpur Wetland in Uttar Pradesh has been added as the 47th Ramsar Site in December 2021

Q Which state has highest wetland?

Ans. India has 19 types of wetlands. Gujarat has the maximum area followed by Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal

 

Other Indian Geography Topics

Seasons of India	Mountains of India
Mangrove Forests in India	Important Mountain Passes in India
Monsoon in India	Indus River System
Climate of India	Rivers of India
Tributaries of Ganga	National Parks in India
Important Dams in India	Wildlife Sanctuaries of India
Tiger Reserves in India	Northern Plains of India
Physiography of India	Important Lakes of India
Wetlands in India	Biodiversity in India
Natural Vegetation in India	Earthquakes in India
Types of Soil in India	Ramsar Sites in India
Brahmaputra River System	Hydropower Plants in India
Nuclear Power Plants in India	Major Ports in India
Biosphere Reserves in India	Waterfalls in India

Other Fundamental Geography Topics

Solar System	Types of Clouds
Structure of the Atmosphere	Himalayan Ranges
Component of Environment	El Nino and La Nina
Coral Reef	Continental Drift Theory
Endogenic and Exogenic Forces	Indian Ocean Region
Pacific Ocean	Indian Ocean Dipole
Air Pollution	Environmental Impact Assessment
Tropical Cyclone	Western Disturbances
Types of Rocks

 

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