The state of Punjab has been left with less than 1% of the area under wetlands. About 30 wetlands, most of which are of natural origin, were reported to have existed in the state. Some, such as Rahon De Chhamb and Bhupinder Sagar, have already lost their wetland characteristics. Punjab now has 12 important natural wetlands and nine manmade wetlands. Harike, Kanjli and Ropar are three major manmade wetlands that have been recognised as Wetlands of International Significance (i.e. Ramsar sites). These wetlands are important habitats for waterfowl, fish and a diversity of other flora and fauna. Two other wetlands, namely Ranjit Sagar and Nangal, were declared as national wetlands in 2006 and 2008 respectively. Ranjit Sagar is located on the Ravi River and spreads out over three states, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Nangal Lake is located on the Sutlej River a few kilometers downstream of Gobind Sagar (Bhakhra Dam). Five wetlands, namely Keshopur Chhamb, Kahnuwan Chhamb, Jastarwal Jheel, Mand Bharthala and Dholbaha Reservoir, have been designated as Wetlands of State Importance owing to their ecological importance. Keshopur Chhamb has also been declared as a Community Reserve. It is the first declared Community Reserve of India, as per Section 36(C) of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and as amended in 2003 in which it states “the State Government may, where the community or an individual has volunteered to conserve wild life and its habitat, declare any private or community land not comprised within a National Park, Sanctuary or a Conservation Reserve, as a Community Reserve, for protecting fauna, flora and traditional or cultural conservation values and practices”. This is managed through a Community Reserve Management Committee, which consists of members of the Forest Department and village panchayats within the state. PSCST has conducted a preliminary survey of these wetlands and published a number of pamphlets on the subject. Growing urbanisation, industrialisation and population have affected the natural environment and wetland ecosystems. Other identified threats to these wetlands include a lack of public awareness around the public’s responsibility for conservation of these ecosystems; drainage of wetlands for irrigation; indiscriminate discharge of domestic and industrial effluents; intensive use of agro chemicals severely affecting the wetland flora and fauna; siltation of wetlands due to erosion caused by deforestation; and loss of vegetative cover particularly around Dholbaha. 74 To address those threats, various initiatives have been undertaken, such as: • Creating small live models of wetlands in schools around three Ramsar sites, namely Harike, Kanjli and Ropar; • Establishing Wetland Education Centres in schools around state wetlands, i.e. Jastarwal Jheel, Kahnuwan Chhamb, Keshopur-Miani Jheel, Mand Bharthala and Dholbaha Reservoir; and • Organising awareness and capacity building programmes in schools all over Punjab state. The RCE partner agencies, namely PSCST, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), GoI, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Punjab and Department of Education, and Punjab (including District Education Officers, District Science Supervisors, and teachers), have collaborated on these initiatives. The schools around three Ramsar sites were selected so that young messengers – the students – could strengthen protection and conservation activities. The Wetland Education Centres were established and educational resource materials were created in order to further capacity building and strengthen the conservation of small natural wetlands ecosystems through the involvement of local communities and relating them to the Ramsar sites. Furthermore, important environmental days are being celebrated and related educational materials are being developed in order to increase the awareness about wetlands conservation. Through this initiative and the educational processes, a youthful energetic force has been harnessed to not only create wetlands in their respective schools but also to spread the message of wetland conservation to communities for sustainable development. Monitori ng, docume ntation, pr otection, and edu cation The state of Punjab has been left with less than 1% of the area under wetlands. About 30 wetlands, most of which are of natural origin, were reported to have existed in the state. 10
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
To see the actual publication please follow the link above