Harike Wetland "EMPOWER IAS"

In news:

• Winter migratory waterbirds using the central Asian flyway have started making a beeline to Punjab’s Harike wetland, offering a delight for bird lovers.

 

Key Highlights

• The birds such as the Eurasian coot, Greylag goose, Bar-headed goose, Gadwall and the northern shoveler are the prominent ones that could be sighted at Harike.
• In 2020, the count at Harike was recorded at 91,025 which is a drop of around 32,000 birds compared to 2019.
• The number of species such as Northern Lapwing, Pacific Golden Plover, Black-bellied Tern and Cotton Pygmy Goose species has been reducing over the years.

 

About Harike Wetland

• The Harike wetland, one of the largest in northern India, is situated in Tarn Taran district of Punjab.
• It came into existence in 1952 after the construction of barrage near the confluence of rivers Sutlej and Beas.
• It stands on the confluence of the Beas and the Sutlej.
• It is home to birds visiting from as far as the Arctic and Siberia.
• Harike is one of the largest man-made wetlands of northern India.
• It was accorded the wetland status in 1990 by the Ramsar Convention.

 

Ramsar Convention:

• It is an intergovernmental environmental treaty that calls for international cooperation and national action to safeguard and sustainably use wetlands.
• The official name for the convention is the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat. It is the first and only global treaty for the conservation of a particular ecosystem.
• The Convention was signed on 2^nd February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. This is where it gets its name from-The Ramsar Convention. 2^nd February is celebrated as World Wetlands Day every year.
• The Convention entered into force in 1975. As of 2019, it has 171 member states including India.
• It is important to note that the Ramsar Convention is not legally binding i.e. it has no punitive sanctions for violations upon treaty commitments.  It is also not part of the United Nations and UNESCO system of environmental conventions and agreements.
• Major changes in land use for agriculture and grazing, water diversion for dams and canals and infrastructure development are considered to be some of the main causes of loss and degradation of wetlands.