Four more wetlands in Kerala move a step closer to Ramsar tag
The draft Ramsar Information Sheets (RIS) for these wetlands have been prepared by the State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK) and will be submitted to the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEF&CC) soon. Once approved, these wetlands will be included in the prestigious Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, which currently includes 75 sites from India -- the highest number among Asian countries.
Environment department director Suneel Pamidi told TNIE that getting the Ramsar site status will help the state make a more focused effort to conserve these sites.
'It's an international recognition and the status will help get international funding for conservation efforts. SWAK will send the proposal to the Union government which will then submit it to the Ramsar Secretariat. These sites will get the status once the Ramsar Secretariat approves it,' Pamidi said.
He said the process is going to be lengthy. 'We selected these sites which meet all the criteria designed by Ramsar. These are unique wetlands with rich diversity and important species of flora and fauna, birds and significant fish resources,' he said.
SWAK is expected to approve the proposal in the next meeting to be held in August. Currently, Kerala has three Ramsar Sites -- Ashtamudi, Sasthamkotta and Vembanad Kol. An official with SWAK said the action plans for these sites have already been set in motion and are being executed with the participation of the local community, NGOs, and multiple stakeholders including local bodies.
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