1. Towards Conservation of DEEPOR BEEL WETLAND
Prepared by ‘Friends of Deepor’
(Available internet resources and information sent by various individuals are used in this presentation and are thankfully acknowledged)
2007
ESC 740: Environmental Management
North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA

2. What are wetlands?
Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life
They occur where the water table is at or near the surface of the land, or where the land is covered by shallow water for at least six months of the year
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 1971

3. What are wetlands? Five major wetland types;
Marine (coastal wetlands including coastal lagoons, rocky shores, and coral reefs)
Estuarine (including deltas, tidal marshes, and mangrove swamps)
Lacustrine (wetlands associated with lakes)
Riverine (wetlands along rivers and streams)
Palustrine (marshes, swamps and bogs)
In addition, human-made wetlands (fish and shrimp ponds, farm ponds, irrigated agricultural land, salt pans, reservoirs, gravel pits, sewage farms and canals)
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 1971

4. What some people think about wetlands?
“ WETLANDS are WASTELANDS”
“Useless, disease-ridden places”
Are these true?
Do wetlands have any value?
Do we need to conserve wetlands?

5. Values of wetlands Fish and wildlife habitats
Natural water quality improvement
Flood regulation
Shoreline erosion protection
Opportunities for recreation and aesthetic appreciation
Natural products for our use at little or no cost

6. Values of wetlands
The intact value of wetlands is way higher than intensive farming
The global value of ecosystem services of wetlands $4.9 trillion/year

7. Values of wetlands Ecosystem Total area (mil. Of ha) Local value
($/ha/yr)
Global value
(Trillions $/yr)
Coastal
3102
4052
12.6
Open ocean
33,200
252
8.4
Wetlands
330
(0.7%)
14,785 (48.9%)
4.9
(14.7%)
Tropical forest
1900
2007
3.8
Lakes, rivers
200
8498
1.7
Grasslands
3898
232
0.9
Croplands
1400 92
0.1
Other forests
2955
302
Total
46,985
30,220
33.3
Costanza et al Nature 387:

8. Deepor Beel Wetlands, Assam, India
Palustrine wetland
A significant wetland in Brahmaputra River drainage
Consists of perennial, freshwater lake and associated pool systems
Area: 40 sq km (Assam State Flood Control Department records the area as sq km)
Deepor Beel
Ramsar sites in India

9. Deepor Beel Wetland, Assam, India
South-west of Guwahati city, Assam, India
Only major storm water storage basin for Guwahati

10. Deepor Habitat Diversity

11. Recognition of Deepor Beel
1989: The government of Assam declared 414 ha as a bird sanctuary (Gazette notification # FRW.1/80/26 of 1972)
2002: Recognized as one of the most significant wetland systems in the world under Ramsar Convention (IRS 2002)
2004: Declared as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International

12. Biological Diversity Highly productive and diverse ecosystem.
Biodiversity is not fully understood yet
Need more surveys and research to document complete biodiversity
Taxa
Number of species
Phytoplankton
18 genera
Zooplankton
21 genera
Amphibians 20
Fish 50
Reptiles 36
Birds
Mammals
219 21

13. Bird Paradise A good breeding and feeding ground for birds
219 species recorded
70 migratory bird species
Several globally threatened species
One of the staging grounds on the migratory flyways for several bird species

14. Globally threatened birds
Lesser adjutant stork
Greater adjutant stork
Spot-billed pelican
Baer’s pochard
Pallas’s sea eagle
Slender-billed vulture
Ferruginous Duck

15. Globally threatened mammals
Asiatic Elephant
Irriwaddy Squirrel
Leopard
Hoolock Gibbon
Fishing Cat

16. 50 species belonging to 19 families
Fish Diversity
Striped Snakehead
Clown knife fish
Stripped Rasbora
Spiny eel
50 species belonging to 19 families

17. Herpetofaunal Diversity
20 Amphibians
12 Lizards
18 Snakes
6 Turtles/tortoise

18. Floral Diversity
Vegetation: comprises of aquatic submerged and emergent vegetation and also some shrubs, climbers and trees
Taxa
Composition
Dicotyledons
65.62%
Monocotyledons
31.47%
Peridophytes
2.90%
Total species
448

19. Local community Wetlands supports a local fishery/fisheries
Traditionally utilize the wetland to collect:
fodder for domestic cattle
natural food, such as, vegetables, flowers, aquatic seeds, fish, molluscs
Commute to city through the wetland in country boats

20. Local community
Depend on the wetland and adjoining forests for daily needs
Fire wood– 68.42%
Woods, bamboos %

21. What’s happening?
Illegal constructions/ settlements in and around (buffer zones) the wetland
Municipal garbage dumping
Change in natural drainage system
Habitat fragmentation: railway tract, new roads through wetland
Spread of invasive species
Spread of Commerce: brick kilns, soil quarry

22. What’s happening?
Illegal land settlements/ constructions

23. Impacts of settlements/ construction
Blockage of natural water flow
Contamination of ground water
Direct Habitat loss
wastes
Floods
Predation/ replacement of natives
Fish Kills
Eutrophication
Drinking water shortage
Local extinction of species
Introduction of exotics
Loss of aesthetic value
Loss of direct use value
Attraction of exotics
Damage to lives and property
Spread of diseases
NEGATIVELY IMPACT TO THE HUMAN LIVELYHOOD

24. What’s happening? Garbage dumping
Greater Adjutant storks attracted to garbage (Brighter side of the tragedy!)

25. Impacts of garbage dumping
Blockage of natural water flow
Contamination of ground water
Direct Habitat loss
Attraction of exotics
pollutants
Floods
Predation/ replacement of natives
Fish Kills
Eutrophication
Damage to lives and property
Drinking water shortage
Local extinction of species
Introduction of exotics
Loss of aesthetic value
Spread of diseases
Loss of direct use value
NEGATIVELY IMPACT TO THE HUMAN LIVELYHOOD

26. Impact Summary Settlements/construction and Garbage dumping
Habitat loss
Flood storage capacity reduction
Water contamination
Eutrophication
Predation/ replacement of local species by invasive species
Risk of spreading new diseases
Loss of livelihood of local people
Loss of aesthetic value

27. One more issue!
Asiatic Elephant population is fragmented in adjoining Rani-Garbhanga Reserved forests by the railway road
Elephants regularly visit the wetland for water/ food- now stands interrupted
Death of elephants
Increased man-elephant conflicts in nearby villages

28. Our Expectations
Stop garbage dumping in Deepor Beel with immediate effect
Stop land settlement, construction, and land transformation by declaring the area as an environmentally sensitive area
Empower Deepor Beel Development Authority as the sole organization managing Deepor Beel

29. “Deepor belongs to the indigenous people and their friends in nature!”
We believe:
“Deepor belongs to the indigenous people and their friends in nature!”
This presentation is designed by Sujan M. Henkanaththegedara (Sujan) for ECS 740: Environmental Management (Fall 2007)