WETLANDS

• Wetlands are the transitional zone between land and water, where saturation with water is the dominant
• Uses – intrinsic ecological and environmental values, fishing, transportation, irrigation, industrial water  supply, receiving waters for wastewater effluents.
• Moderate temperatures, regulate stream flow, recharge ground water aquifers and moderate  droughts, provide habitat to aquatic plants and  animals

Wetlands of Karnataka

• Inland wetlands dominate in Karnataka,  which account for  44% while coastal  wetlands account for  6.56%.
• Out of the 682 wetlands,  622 are inland & 60 are coastal wetlands.

What is in news : State government sent a proposal to the Centre seeking Ramsar site tag for the Ranganathittu bird sanctuary in Mandya district, Aghanashini estuary in Uttara Kannada, Magadi-Shettikeri tanks in Gadag and Ankasamudra in Ballari.

About :

• Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, is a bird sanctuary in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka in India. It is the largest bird sanctuary in the state, 40 acres in area, and comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri river.
• The Magadi tank is located in Magadi village of Shirhatti Taluk, Gadag District. From Gadag it is 26 km, it is located on Gadag-Bangalore Road, from Shirhatti it is 8 km, and from Lakshmeshwar 11 km. The sanctuary covers 134 acres of land and has catchment area of about 900 hectares. The bar-headed goose is one of the birds which migrate to Magadi wetlands.
• Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve (ABCR) is the first bird conservation reserve in the North Karnataka or Kalyan Karnataka region. It was declared as a Conservation Reserve for the protection and conservation of resident and migratory aquatic birds, under section 36-A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is a temporary water body.
• Aghanashini is a small village situated on the southern banks of River Aghanashini in the state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district. The river Aghanashini originates at ‘Shankara Honda’ in the Sirsi town of Uttara Karnataka. It is one of the virgin rivers of the world. The water from this river flows unobstructed through the western ghats range and then joins the Arabian Sea.

Benefits :

• India has 46 Ramsar sites
• Boost towards protection of habitats of birds
• Once approved, it will be binding on the state and the Centre to protect the these areas and it will be recognised by the Bombay Natural History Society as a bird areas of national importance

About Ramsar : A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975. It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources. Ramsar identifies wetlands of international importance, especially those providing waterfowl habitat.