International Wetland Day- 2 February special Kanwar Tal Wetland,Begusarai Bihar

1. International Wetland Day- 2 February special
Wetland Conservation; A Way forward to ensure Economic Prosperity
Kanwar Tal Wetland,Begusarai
Bihar
Kumar Deepak
(Environmentalist)

4. Today is International Wetland Day. This article is not
to criticize the failure of the State in setting up
sustainable wetland governance but it is the right time
to understand the economy of the Wetland Ecosystem. The
Kanwar Lake has failed to be listed under the Ramsar
Convention in 2002 despite of being a proposal pending
before
the
certifying
committee
to
issue
the
notifications for designation of the Kanwar Lake as
“Wetland of International Importance” since 1987.
Kanwar Lake is situated 22 kms North-East of Begusarai
District. It is the largest fresh water Ox-Bow lake, an
estuarine of the stream of River Budhi Gandak.

6. Wetland Ecosystem is considered to be one of the most
productive ecosystems of the world. Kanwar Lake had a
vast area of around 7400 Hectare initially but it has
continuously been shrinking since last two decades due
to a rising ignorance about the great benefit of
accessible ecosystem services. We have so far ignored
the potential economic & ecological benefits of the
wetland especially to the people of surrounding
habitat. Kanwar Lake is the waterlogged asset for the
rural habitat around this wetland ecosystem.

7. This wetland is providing some major tangible or direct
services to the locals, inter alia, include production
of food like fishes, paddy, fruits, rhizomes; a major
water supply & storage for the domestic, Industrial &
agricultural purposes; the biggest provider of food,
fodder, fibre & fuel (wood); supply of plants with
diverse medicinal qualities; genetic materials for the
variety of uses. Kanwar Lake is providing some major
intangible or indirect services such as local climate
regulation; a main carbon sink system for the Green
House Gases; water cycle regulator including underground water level & their discharge as well as
recharge; mitigating the impact of natural disasters
like flood & storm; erosion regulator & soil formation;
a water purifier & waste treatment. Kanwar Lake is
offering some major habitat services such assisting
favorable habitat for the flora & fauna, nutrient
cycling, seed dispersal; primary production. This
wetland site has some significant cultural values
include spiritual needs of some people & recreational,
aesthetics & educational facilities.

8. The State policy makers should know the huge monitory
value of the Kanwar Lake Wetland habitat. The Economics
of Ecosystem & its Biodiversity (TEEBS),a renowned
functionary of the United Nations Environment Programme
assessed the monitory value of the Kanwar Lake Wetland
at INR 22,24,350 Per Hectare ( 1 USD = 50INR) in 2012.
Therefore the gross monitory value of the Kanwar Lake
is around INR 15.12 Billion. Kanwar Lake acts as an
ideal aquifer to provide fresh under-ground drinking
water with no content of Arsenic, Mercury, Lead, Iron,
Fluorine etc. The Biggest characteristic of the Wetland
is to act as a Mass Water Purifier.

10. Kanwar Lake should be developed into one of the Global
Eco-tourism destination of the State of Bihar. It’s
been becoming a substance of research to assess “The
Economics of Wetland Ecosystem & its Biodiversity”. The
basic principle of wetland conservation is that it
should be utilized for the benefit of the people
without compromising the biodiversity values in a
sustainable way. If the Wise-Use Principle along with
the ecosystem services values of the wetlands is
accepted by policy makers & planners, much of the
conflicts with conservations would become non-existent.

11. This is the responsibility of the local people those
are the potential beneficiaries of the economic &
ecological values of the Wetland habitat to protect &
conserve it. The State Government should work on a
Proper Management Action Plan include; Demarcation of
Boundary;
Construction
of
Embankments
to
prevent
further
encroachment;
Dredging
of
silted
areas;
Carrying forward the scientific research on contour
mapping Plan, Catchment Areas Upgradation Plan, water
quality as well as floral & fauna studies. It’s an
urgent time to address the comprehensive plan structure
to rejuvenate the Kanwar Lake. We must have to assess
the socio-economic significance of the economics of the
wetland ecosystem & its bio-diversity. There is an
urgent need to introduce diverse applied awareness
methodologies to understand the potential economic &
ecological benefits.

12. Bureaucrats, planners & developers have so far been
overlooking or deliberately neglecting the fact that
the depletion of the wetland habitat affects the people
around the peripheral areas especially the poor for
whom the wetlands are the resource base for sustenance.
Being an Important Bird Areas/IBA, this is a habitat of
over 100 resident bird species & around 60 migratory
bird species. This Kanwar Lake Ecosystem & its
Biodiversity is vulnerable to the heavy runoff water
influx with pesticides, fertilizers & other chemicals
from the agricultural activities, leading to severe
eutrophication & heavy growth of weeds make it an
adverse ecology for the fauna include fishes & others.
Wetland deterioration is the biggest ever ecological
disaster in our contemporary world. The poorest of the
poor access the largest economic benefit sharing
include
fisheries
occupation,
rice
cultivation,
medicinal plant explorations etc.

14. Department
of
Environment
&
Forest
should
take
immediate measures to reclaim the wetland. It is the
right time to ensure the conservation & protection of
such significant water-logged habitations. Wetlands are
the life line ecosystem for the marginalized & poorer.
We need to establish a Wetland Governance to deal with
sustainable long term management of such potential
economic & ecological resources. Such centre of wider
ecological relevance can be developed into an important
eco-tourism
destination.
There
are
significant
possibilities involving researchers & environmentalists
to work upon developing a structure to assess the
economics of ecosystem & its biodiversity. It is the
need of time to introduce special chapters in our
environmental
sciences
syllabi
dealing
with
the
importance of wetlands in our day to day life. Special
seminars & awareness campaign should be organized with
a prior objective to understand the high economic
significance of such waterlogged ecology. It is a long
term ecological dividend to the extremely marginalized
section of society. Let us join hands to preserve the
wetland ecology.