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The wetland habitats, extant in various bioclimatic and biogeographic zones in India, are some of the richest and fascinating biomes. Wetlands, variously estimated to be occupying 1-5 per cent of geographical area of the country, support about a fifth of the known biodiversity. However, there is a looming threat to the aquatic biodiversity as they are often under a regime of unsustainable human pressures leading to extensive loss of wetlands and wetland biodiversity. The situation warrants radical remedial measures to stem these mounting losses.
Towards, achieving this goal, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India has initiated several measures including identification of over 30 wetlands across the country for long-term conservation. Out of these, 19 have been declared as Ramsar Sites. Consequently, there is a greater need now, than ever to identify more wetlands representing various biogeographic zones of the country for long-term conservation.
The very purpose of the Conservation Atlas is to provide such basic information that is required for prioritization of wetlands for conservation at various levels. The individual wetland sites, however, need to be described at a greater depth, based upon the district and state level information. The information provided in the atlas is targeted for stakeholders in both wetland habitat and species conservation.
