Towards Conservation of DEEPOR BEEL WETLAND

1. Towards Conservation of DEEPOR BEEL WETLAND Prepared by ‘Friends of Deepor’ (Available internet resources and information sent by various individuals are used in this presentation and are thankfully acknowledged) 2007 ESC 740: Environmental Management North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA

2. What are wetlands? • Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life • They occur where the water table is at or near the surface of the land, or where the land is covered by shallow water for at least six months of the year Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 1971

3. What are wetlands? Five major wetland types; • Marine (coastal wetlands including coastal lagoons, rocky shores, and coral reefs) • Estuarine (including deltas, tidal marshes, and mangrove swamps) • Lacustrine (wetlands associated with lakes) • Riverine (wetlands along rivers and streams) • Palustrine (marshes, swamps and bogs) • In addition, human-made wetlands (fish and shrimp ponds, farm ponds, irrigated agricultural land, salt pans, reservoirs, gravel pits, sewage farms and canals) Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 1971

4. What some people think about wetlands? “ WETLANDS are WASTELANDS” “Useless, disease-ridden places” • Are these true? • Do wetlands have any value? • Do we need to conserve wetlands?

5. Values of wetlands • Fish and wildlife habitats • Natural water quality improvement • Flood regulation • Shoreline erosion protection • Opportunities for recreation and aesthetic appreciation • Natural products for our use at little or no cost

6. Values of wetlands • The intact value of wetlands is way higher than intensive farming • The global value of ecosystem services of wetlands $4.9 trillion/year

7. Values of wetlands Costanza et al. 1997. Nature 387: 253-260

8. Deepor Beel Wetlands, Assam, India • Palustrine wetland • A significant wetland in Brahmaputra River drainage • Consists of perennial, freshwater lake and associated pool systems • Area: 40 sq km (Assam State Flood Control Department records the area as 54.89 sq km) Deepor Beel Ramsar sites in India

9. Deepor Beel Wetland, Assam, India • South-west of Guwahati city, Assam, India • Only major storm water storage basin for Guwahati

10. Deepor Habitat Diversity

11. Recognition of Deepor Beel • 1989: The government of Assam declared 414 ha as a bird sanctuary (Gazette notification # FRW.1/80/26 of 1972) • 2002: Recognized as one of the most significant wetland systems in the world under Ramsar Convention (IRS 2002) • 2004: Declared as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International

12. Biological Diversity • Highly productive and diverse ecosystem. • Biodiversity is not fully understood yet • Need more surveys and research to document complete biodiversity

13. Bird Paradise • A good breeding and feeding ground for birds • 219 species recorded • 70 migratory bird species • Several globally threatened species • One of the staging grounds on the migratory flyways for several bird species

14. Globally threatened birds • Lesser adjutant stork • Greater adjutant stork • Spot-billed pelican • Baer’s pochard • Pallas’s sea eagle • Slender-billed vulture • Ferruginous Duck

15. Globally threatened mammals • Asiatic Elephant • Irriwaddy Squirrel • Leopard • Hoolock Gibbon • Fishing Cat

16. Fish Diversity • Striped Snakehead • Clown knife fish • Stripped Rasbora • Spiny eel 50 species belonging to 19 families

17. Herpetofaunal Diversity • 20 Amphibians • 12 Lizards • 18 Snakes • 6 Turtles/tortoise

18. Floral Diversity • Vegetation: comprises of aquatic submerged and emergent vegetation and also some shrubs, climbers and trees

19. Local community • Wetlands supports a local fishery/fisheries • Traditionally utilize the wetland to collect: • fodder for domestic cattle • natural food, such as, vegetables, flowers, aquatic seeds, fish, molluscs • Commute to city through the wetland in country boats

20. Local community • Depend on the wetland and adjoining forests for daily needs • Fire wood– 68.42% • Woods, bamboos- 16.02%

21. What’s happening? • Illegal constructions/ settlements in and around (buffer zones) the wetland • Municipal garbage dumping • Change in natural drainage system • Habitat fragmentation: railway tract, new roads through wetland • Spread of invasive species • Spread of Commerce: brick kilns, soil quarry

22. What’s happening? Illegal land settlements/ constructions

23. Settlements/ construction Attraction of exotics Introduction of exotics Direct Habitat loss wastes Blockage of natural water flow Predation/ replacement of natives Local extinction of species Contamination of ground water Floods Loss of aesthetic value Fish Kills Damage to lives and property Eutrophication Loss of direct use value Drinking water shortage Spread of diseases NEGATIVELY IMPACT TO THE HUMAN LIVELYHOOD Impacts of settlements/ construction

24. What’s happening? Garbage dumping Greater Adjutant storks attracted to garbage (Brighter side of the tragedy!)

25. Garbage dumping Attraction of exotics Introduction of exotics Direct Habitat loss pollutants Blockage of natural water flow Predation/ replacement of natives Local extinction of species Contamination of ground water Floods Loss of aesthetic value Fish Kills Damage to lives and property Eutrophication Loss of direct use value Drinking water shortage Spread of diseases NEGATIVELY IMPACT TO THE HUMAN LIVELYHOOD Impacts of garbage dumping

26. Impact SummarySettlements/construction and Garbage dumping • Habitat loss • Flood storage capacity reduction • Water contamination • Eutrophication • Predation/ replacement of local species by invasive species • Risk of spreading new diseases • Loss of livelihood of local people • Loss of aesthetic value

27. One more issue! • Asiatic Elephant population is fragmented in adjoining Rani-Garbhanga Reserved forests by the railway road • Elephants regularly visit the wetland for water/ food- now stands interrupted • Death of elephants • Increased man-elephant conflicts in nearby villages

28. Our Expectations • Stop garbage dumping in Deepor Beel with immediate effect • Stop land settlement, construction, and land transformation by declaring the area as an environmentally sensitive area • Empower Deepor Beel Development Authority as the sole organization managing Deepor Beel

29. We believe: “Deepor belongs to the indigenous people and their friends in nature!” This presentation is designed by Sujan M. Henkanaththegedara (Sujan) for ECS 740: Environmental Management (Fall 2007)