How We Work

Managing wetlands is an interdisciplinary endeavour that requires an understanding of how wetlands evolve and function, the ways in which human societies interact and benefit from these ecosystems, and the relationship these ecosystems have with broader development plans and programmes. There is a critical lack of capacity in South Asia region in managing wetlands in an integrated manner, with due consideration of worldviews and values of the diverse stakeholder groups, inter-dependencies with different sectors, and planning and programming at different scales. In most cases, terrestrial management planning processes, such as guidelines for protected-area management, are applied to wetlands, which do not adequately address basin- and coastal-zone-scale interactions nor account for the role of communities in the functioning of wetland ecosystems. 

Wetlands International South Asia promotes a diagnostic approach to the management of wetlands. This involves systematic evaluation of a wetland’s features and governing factors to assess risks of adverse change in these ecosystems and the capacity of institutions to address these risks. We champion management interventions at the landscape scale to ensure that the diverse biodiversity and ecosystem service values are maintained now and into the future. We also nurture institutions capable of integrated, adaptive management of wetlands. We also continuously endeavour to infuse technology, tools, and innovative practices in the way management is implemented.

Wetlands are essential to ensuring water security, acting as natural infrastructure that provides critical ecosystem services. They sustain freshwater supplies, protect against climate extremes, and help ensure long-term water security. In addition to regulating water availability, wetlands are some of nature’s most effective filters. They trap sediments, break down pollutants, and remove excess nutrients, thereby improving water quality. The ability of wetlands to perform these vital functions depends on various hydrologic factors. Therefore, understanding the relationship between water regimes and wetland characteristics is crucial for managing wetlands sustainably. Despite their importance, wetlands are often overlooked in water resource planning, creating a significant gap in water management efforts. 

Wetlands International South Asia promotes integration of wetlands into water management planning and decision-making processes. This requires collaboration among various stakeholders, including those responsible for wetland management, water resource management, rural development, and others, at multiple levels. 

We also aim to enhance the knowledge base and develop tools that facilitate the incorporation of wetlands into water security and management plans and programs. Additionally, we work to strengthen the capabilities of institutions and stakeholders involved in water resource management, enabling them to integrate wetlands into their planning processes and create stronger connections between wetland conservation and water sector initiatives.

Wetlands are multifunctional ecosystems that support the livelihoods of the communities that depend on them. It is estimated that 6% of India’s population, roughly 85 million people, directly depend on wetlands for their livelihoods, including agriculture, tourism, and harvesting wetland products such as fish, rice, foxnuts, chestnuts, clams, and salt. The need to maintain wetland values and functions, while also providing services and benefits for human well-being both now and in the future, requires adopting approaches that recognise the connections between livelihoods, wetland functioning, and biological diversity. This forms the core of wetlands wise use concept of the Ramsar Convention and the whole-of-society approach to wetlands conservation, promoted under India’s National Wetlands Programme. 

Wetland International South Asia endeavours to strengthen the livelihoods of wetland communities, enhance their capabilities, and assets essential for enhancing the economic and social well-being. An essential element of this work is seeking mainstreaming of wetlands into development plans, programmes, and investments at all levels. 

Wetlands are crucial for enhancing disaster resilience. They function as natural infrastructure, protecting against extreme events and ensuring long-term water security. Degradation and loss of wetlands undermine societal resilience in multiple ways, exposing society to longer-term risks, such as reduced capacity to buffer extreme events. The need to address burgeoning poverty, food and water insecurity, and climate change-induced threats has favoured the adoption of infrastructure-centric solutions, which, while providing short-term gains, undermine the capability of wetlands to support human well-being. 

Integrating wetlands into local plans and programmes can ensure that the contributions wetlands make to societal well-being are considered synergistically within various sectors. We therefore build sector partnerships (such as those with Disaster Management) to communicate the role of wetlands across multiple sector outcomes. Additionally, we strive to strengthen the knowledge base and tools to enable embedding wetlands in sector plans and programmes. We also focus on developing the capacity of sector partners and stakeholders to work with wetlands and build synergies with sector plans and programmes.

Wetlands are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on the planet, supporting a vast array of flora and fauna, including one in every ten known species. However, the loss and degradation of wetlands have a profound impact on species that rely on them for their survival. In India, which serves as a vital node for avian migration, almost 70% of all migratory waterbirds along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) winter within its wetlands. Pressures from land-use change, pollution, invasive species, hydrological alteration, and climate change have severely affected wetland-dependent biodiversity.

There is a growing recognition that conserving biodiversity in wetlands requires a shift from isolated interventions to an ecological network approach—a framework that views wetlands as interconnected systems across landscapes and flyways. This approach emphasises the protection of functional linkages between wetlands, enabling species migration, genetic exchange, and ecological resilience. 

Wetlands are some of the most effective and efficient natural carbon sinks. When managed effectively, these ecosystems can store carbon at rates far exceeding those of other terrestrial systems. However, if degraded or drained, they become potent sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite their crucial role in sequestering carbon and regulating greenhouse gas emissions, these ecosystems remain under-recognised in national climate change policies and related programmes.

Wetlands International South Asia’s work has focused on developing catalytic knowledge on the carbon storage potential of Indian wetlands and tools to assess and plan for risks on wetlands induced by climate change. Through our work, we envisage demonstrating how wetlands can significantly contribute to both climate change mitigation and adaptation, while also enhancing ecosystem resilience and supporting sustainable development.