A team from Wetlands International South Asia comprising Dhruv Verma (Project Manager, Eco-DRR) and Harsh Ganapathi (Technical Officer) undertook a field mission to review the status of Eco-DRR interventions in Tampara wetland basin, Odisha from 29th November to 3rd December 2021.
Tampara wetland is a freshwater lake with high ornithological and recreational values
The Wetlands International South Asia team along with members of Pallishree, a grassroot CSO in Odisha were able to ride across the landscape and examine the ecological, social and political aspects present therein.
The climatic and anthropogenic pressures on Tampara wetland, one of largest freshwater lakes in Odisha and also revered for its high tourism and biodiversity value is a pressing issue in the landscape. The connected streams and smaller wetlands that provide livelihood to dependent communities and buffer during frequent storms and cyclones have been severely compromised to the growing infrastructure in the landscape.
Interactions with members of local youth clubs at Sana Noliauagaon, a shoreline village facing severe beach erosion.
A restored pond in the Tampara landscape
The field mission included a stakeholder workshop that enabled the team to understand the perspectives and need for Eco-DRR measures to enhance community resilience through better ecosystem protection regime, capacity building of stakeholders and policy support. The team also visited Eco-DRR intervention sites which include plantation sites, village ponds restored/protected and the alternate livelihood sites in the landscape.
The project plans to develop an integrated management plan for Tampara with collaborative support from Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in the coming days.