- The country’s total geographical area under the category of wetlands is recorded more in Gujarat as compared to other States.
- In India, the total geographical area of coastal wetlands is larger than that of inland wetlands.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) Wetlands occur wherever water meets land. These unique habitats include mangroves, peatlands and marshes, rivers and lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, ricefields, and even coral reefs. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics, and from high altitudes to dry regions.
Statement 1 is correct: Gujarat is ahead of other states in the country in ecological richness. This is evident from the recent ‘National wetland inventory and assessment’ report prepared by the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad. In the report, Gujarat comes out on top with the largest amount of its landmass identified as wetlands of different kinds. Statement 2 is not correct: According to the 2011 Report of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India has a total 2,01,503 wetlands, of which 1,88,470 are inland wetlands and 13,033 are coastal wetlands. Area wise inland wetlands consist of 69.23 percent and coastal wetlands consist of 27.13 percent, while other wetlands occupy 3.64 percent.
Additional Information:
O The Ramsar Convention is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
O 1975. Since then, almost 90% of UN member states have become “Contracting Parties” and committed to the Convention’s three pillars:
O Work towards the wise use of all their wetlands.
O Designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands International Importance and ensure their effective management.
O Cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species.