Harike wetland

Harike wetland

Subject: Environment

Section: Places in news

Context: Migratory bird arrivals at Punjab’s Harike wetland decline this season, latest census shows.

More on the News:

• The arrival of migratory birds this year to Harike, northern India’s largest wetland, declined 12% from 2021, according to the latest census of these water birds.
• Every winter, 90 species of migratory birds from Siberia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia, among others, arrive at the wetland site once the water bodies in their native places start to freeze.
• Punjab witnessed fewer migratory bird arrivals at all wetlands this year.

Harike wetland

• The Harike Wetland, one of the largest in northern India, is situated in Tarn Taran district & and Ferozepur district of Punjab.
• The Harike Wetland stands on the confluence of the the Beas and the Sutlej. It is home to birds visiting from as far as the Arctic and Siberia.
• It was accorded as a wetland in 1990, by the Ramsar Convention, as one of the Ramsar sites in India, for conservation, development and preservation of the ecosystem.
• In addition to its ecological importance, the Harike Wetland is also an important source of fish for local communities. The wetland supports a significant population of fish species, including catfish, rohu, and common carp.

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species

• The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), also known as the Bonn Convention
• It is an international agreement aimed at the conservation of migratory species and their habitats.
• The CMS was signed in Bonn, Germany in 1979 and entered into force in 1983.
• The CMS aims to coordinate and collaborate efforts to conserve migratory species that cross national boundaries. The Convention covers a wide range of species, including birds, mammals, fish, and reptiles, and seeks to address threats to these species, including habitat destruction, hunting, and climate change.
• The CMS has been ratified by over 130 countries, making it one of the most widely recognized international agreements for the conservation of wildlife.
• The Convention meets every three years to discuss new developments and progress on conservation efforts, and to make decisions on how to move forward with the conservation of migratory species.
• Species Covered: Convention has two Appendices
  • Appendix I lists migratory species that are endangered or threatened with extinction.
  • Appendix II lists migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management.