Why Namami Gange’s success lies in wetland conservation.

Delhi-based bird nerd Abhijay Jha visits the lush wetlands within Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh every year to spot migratory birds who call it home in the winter months. This year, the marketing executive returned home disappointed. “Unexpected rainfall in the months of October and November last year had revived several dried wetlands, especially seasonal marshlands on the Ganga floodplains. I was expecting a record number of migratory birds, but very few were around,” he says.

The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) 2023, conducted in January at the sanctuary, too, recorded a decrease in species diversity from 45 to 38 compared to last year. Some of the winter migratory waterbird species seen this year included the Greylag Geese, Barheaded Geese and Ruddy Shelduck that come from Central Asia. According to the AWC, one reason for this decline could be that the revived wetlands (due to unseasonal rainfall) have largely dried up while the existing bigger wetlands are fully choked by water hyacinth. This leaves little to no space for birds to thrive.

According to the UN Environmental Programme, nearly 90 per cent of the world’s wetlands have degraded since the 1700s, and we are losing wetlands three times faster than forests. Yet, they have a critical role to play in the ecosystem, and contribute to biodiversity, climate action and freshwater availability. They are also integral to world economies. Wetlands’ ecological services contribute $47.4 trillion annually to human health, happiness, and security.