September 8, 2022
A wetland is an area of land that is either covered by water or saturated with water. The water is often groundwater, seeping up from an aquifer or spring. They are defined as marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salty, including areas of man and water, the depth of which at low tides does not exceed 6 meters. Wetlands of Nepal range from the torpid ponds of sub-tropical Terai to the glacial lakes of the High Himalayas, which indicates the diverse wildlife species supported by them. The wetlands of Nepal constitute an important ecosystem that harbors a large number of endemic wildlife species, many of which are on the brink of extinction.
Wetlands cover over 743,500 hectares of area, i.e. nearly 5% of the area of the country. The Terai consists of large numbers of wetlands (163) followed by hills and mountains (79) stretching from Mechi in the east to Mahakali in the west. Among 27 recognized global freshwater wetlands types, 20 are found in Nepal. But at present, only 9 wetlands are included in the Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance). They are Koshi Tappu in Sunsari, Beeshazari in Chitwan, Ghodaghodi in Kailali, Gokyo in Solukhumbu, Gosaikunda in Rasuwa, Jagadishpur in Kapilbastu, Maipokhari in Illam, Phoksundo in Dolpa and Rara Lake in Mugu.
Wetlands of Nepal have 193 out of 841 recorded bird species and out of 91 and 89 globally threatened flora and fauna; 11 flora and 59 fauna are dependent on wetlands for all or part of the year. Wetlands are probably the last refuges of some wild relatives of cultivated plants. Wetlands have a significant role in the conservation of biodiversity and genetic resources.t aids in the purification of static water, and its storage and conservation minimize floods and erosion. Further, it helps in groundwater recharge, and nutrient retention and even helps in ecosystem maintenance by supporting the food web. Wetlands also provide a source of income for people through fishing, irrigation, and religious and cultural purposes.
Home to some of the most endangered floras and faunas, Wetlands are one of the world’s most threatened habitats.Almost 90 percent of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since the 1700s, and those that remain are disappearing three times faster than forests.
Nepal is a mountainous country dotted with small wetlands such as rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, swampy lands, irrigation canal, fishponds and reservoirs. Even though they are small, their strategic importance is no less than any other big wetlands. Nepal’s valuable wetlands are under threat, mainly from anthropogenic activities like encroachment, pollution, unsustainable harvesting and haphazard construction along the wetland areas. Undervalued and ignored, wetlands are disappearing and drying up in Nepal – leaving the communities and wildlife that depend on them exposed in a changing climate. The major threats to wetlands are :
Many of our wetlands have become victims of natural and socioeconomic pollutions such as direct discharge of sewage and domestic waste water, run-off from nearby areas, and dumping of rubbish into the wetland sites. According to a recent census, Nepal has seen depletion in the number of aquatic birds due to the degradation of wetlands. Of the over 150 kinds of the migratory birds that visit Nepal each year, over 100 are aquatic birds that make the country’s wetlands their home. This is also why we must put a check on human activities that are detrimental to the existence of wetlands, including urban expansion and pollution.
Pressure on wetland resources has increased in recent years with the expansion of human settlements and farmlands. . Overexploitation in wetlands may take several different forms such as plant harvesting, overgrazing, overfishing and excess hunting pressure leading to species and ecosystem disturbance.
Wetlands in Nepal hold religious Importance . During the festival, there is massive inflow of people in the area, leading to the open dumping of solid waste around the lake, making the management of waste and sanitation difficult. There is a religious belief that bathing, giving alms, and offering Tarpan in holy sites will assist ancestors to liberate and achieve salvation. The burning examples can be seen in the Bagmati river and sacred lakes like Gosainkunda, where thousands of pilgrims take sacred bath on the day of Janai Purnima every year in the monsoon season.
Wetlands are severely infested with foreign or invasive plant species, which causes a serious problem for the conservation of wetlands and their resources . Some of the species that have invaded our wetlands are (1) water hyacinth (Jal Kumbhi, Eichornia crassipes), (2) Kumbhika (Pistia stratiotes), (3) Jaljambhu, (4) Besharm (5) Karaunte grasses (Leersia hexandra), (6) Lahare Banmara (Mikania micrantha), (7) Lajjawati (Mimosa pudica) and (8) Amla Patte Jhar (Myriophyllum aquaricum).
It’s not that successful people are givers; it is that givers are successful people.
― Patti Thor