GS 3 ENVIRONMENT Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Introduction
Wetlands serve a function by developing greater biodiversity and natural and pleasant recreation areas for city dwellers.
Urban wetlands should be designed in such a way that they allow for the possibility that the water running into them from the urban surroundings is more polluted than in a natural environment.

Contemporary Issue:
- WWF Risk Filter analysis
- 100 cities globally will be facing ‘severe water scarcity’ by 2050.
- These cities are home to around 350 million people.
- Climate change and rising population
- the total population of these cities could increase from 17% in 2020 to 51% by 2050
- have been cited as underlying factors.
- countries need to make the spread of urbanisation more even apart from undertaking urgent climate action.
- Two Indian cities Jaipur (45) and Indore (75) feature in the list.
- Apart from these two, 28 other Indian cities are likely to face ‘increasing water risks in the next few decades’,
- including Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Delhi and Vishakapatnam.
Importance :
- provides important ecological services
- that contribute to watershed functions
- most notably in pollutant removal
- flood attenuation
- groundwater recharge and discharge
- shoreline protection
- wildlife habitat.
- The benefit generally increases as total wetland cover increases in a watershed.
- are highly productive ecosystems that provide the world with nearly two-thirds of its fish harvest.
- play an integral role in the ecology of the watershed.
- The combination of shallow water, high levels of nutrients is ideal for the development of organisms
- that form the base of the food web and feed many
- species of fish
- amphibians
- shellfish
- insects.
- Wetlands’ microbes, plants and wildlife are part of global cycles for water, nitrogen and sulphur.
- helps in the elimination of phosphates, nitrates, solid substances and heavy metals.
- Wetlands store carbon within their plant communities and soil
- instead of releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
- Wetlands function as natural barriers that trap and slowly release
- surface water
- rain
- snowmelt
- groundwater
- flood waters.
- Wetland vegetation also
- slow the speed of flood waters
- lowering flood heights
- reduces soil erosion.
- Wetlands are critical to human and planet life.
- More than one billion people depend on them for a living.
- 40% of the world’s species live and breed in wetlands.
- Numerous researchers have quantified the economic benefits provided by wetlands in a watershed.
- When wetlands are lost or degraded by land development
- these services must often be replaced by costly water treatment and flood control infrastructure.
- wetland conservation and restoration should be an integral part of a comprehensive local watershed management strategy.
- When wetlands are lost or degraded by land development
Current Scenario:
- These lake ecosystems are presently endangered due to anthropogenic disturbances caused by Urbanisation
- as they have been heavily degraded due to pollution from
- disposal of untreated local sewage
- due to encroachment
- resulting in shrunken lakes.
Still needs more attention:
- Even after 26 years of pollution abatement works
- only 10% of waste water generated in the country is treated.
- The rest collects as cess pools or is discharged into the 14 major, 55 minor and several hundred other rivers.
- It is quite clear that the overall status of quality of water in rivers, lakes and its links to groundwater has not been adequately addressed.
- Out of the 43 Indian guidelines passed by the central and state government
- 41% of those talk about conservation and restoration of waterbodies
- but only 10% exactly describe the conservative measure.
- Only 22% of the guidelines are on subjects related to policies to be adopted by state government, urban local bodies etc.
- Out of the 43 Indian guidelines passed by the central and state government
- This clearly identifies the missing links and marks the future prospects that India should adopt for the preparation of better and sustainable lake management plans.
Way Forward
- Developing urban wetlands and watershed
- are crucial to containing the crisis.
- The Smart Cities initiative’s framework for water management also must be implemented.
- To counter unplanned urbanization and a growing population, management of wetlands
- has to be an integrated approach in terms of planning, execution and monitoring.
- Effective collaborations among
- academicians
- professionals
- including ecologists
- watershed management specialists
- planners and decision makers
- for overall management of wetlands.
- Spreading awareness
- by initiating awareness programs
- about the importance of wetlands and constant monitoring of wetlands for their water quality
- would provide vital inputs to safeguard the wetlands from further deterioration.
- by initiating awareness programs
- In order to operationalise water management for a water-secure future
- public funding for sustainable economic growth is the need of the hour.
- From cutting greenhouse gas emissions to reclaiming waste ware, cities must have a multi-pronged response.
Conclusion
Beyond that, the country needs to implement rainwater harvesting, micro-irrigation, etc, while transitioning away from water-guzzling crops and pricing water correctly to discourage wastage.
Without a holistic outlook on water, the country suffer – research shows a clear link between water-stress and conflict.