What started as a police complaint about the destruction of mangroves in 2016 turned into a passion for conserving wetlands for the Agarwals. This Navi Mumbai couple, both in their 50s, has been fighting to save 80 hectares of wetlands in Navi Mumbai that are home to thousands of flamingos. The wetlands were proposed to be converted into a golf course and residential complex but in 2018, based on their petition, the Bombay High Court (HC) quashed a notification to this effect. The forest department now plans to declare the area a conservation reserve but is facing resistance from within the government.

“ I strongly felt the people’s hopelessness because they lost the hope of land and livelihood.”

Navi Mumbai, a satellite city of Mumbai, is more scenic and serene as compared to the commercial capital owing to large number of trees, open spaces, mangroves, mudflats, salt pans and a creek. Thousands of migratory birds visit the area every year.

Several residents of Navi Mumbai have been fighting to save their local environment, specifically the wetlands, from destruction for years now. These wetlands are under threat from proposed construction for residential and other infrastructure projects. One example is a movement to save Panje wetlands in Uran, a part of Navi Mumbai, where the core wetland covers about 213 hectares and is an important site for migratory birds. This wetland is also close to a proposed airport. Not far from Panje are two more wetlands – one, measuring 13 hectares, behind Training Ship Chanakya (TSC), a maritime academy on Palm Beach Road and another near NRI Complex, a residential complex in Navi Mumbai’s Seawoods area. The NRI Complex wetland is located south of TSC with an area of around 20 hectares. While these wetlands constitute a small percentage of the area of Navi Mumbai, they support more than a hundred species and most of them are migratory with declining populations around the globe.

Sunil and Shruti Agarwal and their two children, moved to NRI Complex in 2016. On one of their morning walks, they saw an instance of mangrove destruction. They quizzed the labourers and eventually, an FIR was filed at NRI Complex police station. They have been fighting against the destruction of mangroves and these wetlands since then.

“We had not been environmental activists before we got into this issue. We had fought against defacement of Navi Mumbai due to hoardings in the past. Even today if you ask me the definition of wetlands, I won’t be able to tell you. But all I can understand is something wrong is happening,” said Shruti Agarwal, a television producer. The couple also raised alarm when hundreds of trees were cut at the wetland citing permissions from local authorities. As work on the wetlands got more demanding, Sunil, a self-employed chartered accountant and Shruti decided to take a break. Now their children also help them in their cause.

In a Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) report published in 2019 titled ‘Coastal Wetlands and Waterbirds of Navi Mumbai: Current Status’, both T.S. Chanakya (TSC) wetlands and NRI complex (Talawe) wetlands find an elaborate mention. The TSC wetland has 21 bird species including four near threatened species and one vulnerable species. Between January and September 2018, BNHS recorded waterbirds on the TSC wetlands including near threatened species (IUCN status) such as painted stork, lesser flamingo, Eurasian curlew and curlew sandpiper. These species were also observed at the NRI Complex wetland during this period. The NRI Complex wetland hosts 37 waterbird species, including four near threatened and one vulnerable species, according to the report.

According to documents from City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), the agency responsible for the proposed infrastructure works in the area, there are three plots in question, viz, pockets A, C and D located in Seawoods, Navi Mumbai. Of these, zone changes have been made in Pocket A (20 hectares) and D (0.85 hectares) – and proposed in Pocket C (47 hectares) – to facilitate the development of the golf course and residential area and make the areas economically viable. The golf course, approximately under 20 hectares, is planned on parts of NRI wetlands while the residential complex will come up on a 13 hectare plot part of TSC wetlands. The changes were made according to Maharashtra government’s notification of October 5, 2016, for a sanctioned modification to Navi Mumbai’s Development Plan.

However, the same BNHS report has warned of landfilling, excavation of soil, intensive fishing and overcrowding as threats to the TSC and NRI wetlands. Therefore, as a conservation and management action, the report has suggested, “land reclamation work should be strictly prohibited at this site. This wetland (TSC) should be declared amongst protected areas associated with Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) because water birds from the sanctuary are using it as high tide roost when sanctuary gets flooded during high tide.” For NRI wetlands also, the report has suggested managing traditional fishing practices in a way to manage the water level in the wetland for birds and that crowds should be regulated.

Sub-unit Panvel that consist of the T.S. Chanakya Wetlands and NRI Complex wetlands finds a mention in the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment (NWIA) Atlas.

Even though NWIA does not list all 2.01 lakh wetlands covered under it, a Bombay HC order referred to TSC and NRI wetlands as part of NWIA.

“If these wetlands are declared a conservation reserve, it will be a victory for us. These wetlands are protected by Supreme Court (SC) order but construction could start just because of a CIDCO order. If these 2.01 lakh wetlands are protected as per SC order, it is only SC that can change this status,” said Sunil.

“We had no language in common, but I was surprised at how well we were able to communicate through art. We gave them a sense of pride about the art works and their wetland.”

“For every year we delay it (the golf course project), we prevent environmental destruction. We feel like we are owners (guardians) of 80 hectares of land. We are also happy that we have inspired people to save their local environment as well,” said Shruti.

Navi Mumbai’s changing land use has contributed to the current geography of its wetlands. Till the 1970s, it was covered with large expanses of salt pans and paddy fields, notes the BNHS report. Tide gates regulated tidal water for agriculture, salt farming and fishing, but these traditional practices declined by the 1980s. Once the region started to get developed into a metropolitan area, increasing land prices, changing hydrology and economy of this region due to construction activities, government policies and changing lifestyles could have made people abandon farming and fishing, notes BNHS in its report. “This might have brought transformation in this region — new wetlands were formed naturally in abandoned salt pans and paddy fields and artificially by soil excavation — existing wetlands became shallow or disappeared due to heavy siltation and landfilling and along with uncultivated and unmanaged lands, they were replaced by prolific growth of mangroves and scrubs,” it noted.

“People point out to us that where we are living right now also used to be a wetland before. I say to them, “Alright, but does that mean we let the last of wetlands also be destroyed?” Just because it happened once doesn’t mean we should let it happen again,” says Shruti.

About 100-200 citizens take part in the protests to save Navi Mumbai’s environment. They are mobilised on social media. On the importance of citizen activism, Shruti adds, “We had not been environmental activists before we got into this issue… When we were working against hoardings, we exposed a lot of people. There was a defamation case against Sunil also but we are undeterred. Environment became our focus when we shifted here… Our children also actively help us. We are also happy that we have inspired people to save their local environment as well.”

Citizens who joined the movement to protect Navi Mumbai’s urban wetlands at Talawe. Photo from Sunil Agarwal.

“People point out to us that where we are living right now also used to be a wetland before. I say to them, “Alright, but does that mean we let the last of wetlands also be destroyed?” Just because it happened once doesn’t mean we should let it happen again,” says Shruti.

Navi Mumbai resident Vinod Punshi said, “When CIDCO came to London and approached the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) living there, one of the selling points was an 18-hole international standard golf course. Later, the plan was amended to a nine-hole golf course but then that also did not seem feasible. That is why a golf course was built at Kharghar. They just want this land bank.”

The Agarwals who mobilised residents of the Seawoods area and have been opposing the golf course at the wetland site filed a PIL in the matter in 2018 that was clubbed with an existing PIL of 2013 filed by Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society and Punshi. A judgment was pronounced on November 1, 2018, which relied on a Supreme Court judgment that emphasises the doctrine of public trust. While referring to it, HC states, “…there is a total ban on reclamation of wetlands identified under NWIA. There is a ban on any permanent construction on such identified wetlands.”

In the order, HC further stated, “The agenda note (of 435th meeting of Board of Directors of CIDCO held on May 9, 2002, which proposed modification of Development Plan) will show that the decision of proposing change of DP was taken mainly for commercial reasons. There is no greater public interest reflected from the agenda note for converting the water bodies in NDZ into a golf course and residential complex.”

The court further noted, “Moreover there is nothing placed on record to show that the impact on the ecosystem and environment of filling in water bodies for making construction of residential complex and for making golf course was assessed or at least such assessments were made available to the Planning Authority or the State government… Therefore, we have no manner of doubt that the impugned notification is illegal and is liable to be struck down,” the court noted. The court passed an order quashing the notification, ordered reservations provided therein cannot be implemented, allowed the wetlands to continue to remain protected as per Apex Court order.

According to documents from CIDCO, VC and MD Bhushan Gagrani had written to the state Environment Department on September 9, 2016, stating that it is a matter of grave concern for the city of Navi Mumbai that large chunks of developable land have been included in the NWIA. “The wetland delineation has been carried out at 1:50000 scale and there are anomalies which are primarily due to errors in drafting maps, confusions in identification in case of smaller land pockets, apparent similarities in mangroves and terrestrial vegetation and lack of site verification. The Atlas has been prepared independent of any consultation of the legally incumbent Development Plan or the concerned Development Authority. Since the entire Navi Mumbai area is under development as per the planning approach already frozen as far back as in 1979 following Wetland Atlas in toto will not be possible due to mismatches/errors narrated above.” Therefore, the CIDCO MD stated that there is no important wetland around Navi Mumbai notified area.

After the HC order, the project contractor and CIDCO moved the Supreme Court and has secured a stay on the HC order.

Meanwhile, the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) plan 2019-20 to 2029-30 has included a chapter titled Satellite Wetland Management and Conservation Plan. It refers to the aforementioned BNHS report and cites six satellite wetlands of the TCFS including TSC and NRI wetlands and even suggested an action plan for their conservation.

Therefore, in April 2020, the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF)- Mangrove Cell Virendra Tiwari wrote to CIDCO and district administrations of Thane and Raigad asking for comments since the Cell intended to propose protection and conservation measures for these six wetlands as per Wildlife Act (for eg. declaration of conservation reserves, etc).

CIDCO wrote back to APCCF on July 21, 2020 stating, “..this is to inform you that CIDCO had carried out a scientific survey in Navi Mumbai area in 2016 with reference to the wetland atlas published by GoI. As per the report of this survey, these five locations are not wetlands.” While referring to the TSC and NRI wetlands, CIDCO has stated that the areas used to be salt pan lands and several ponds were created hereafter fishermen broke bunds to do fishing here. Besides, CIDCO cited another BNHS report contradicting the one mentioned above. The said report had stated that ‘Navi Mumbai International Airport site and adjoining areas should be made unattractive for birds.’ Apart from the fact the HC order was stayed by SC, CIDCO has also cited a letter by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Nagpur to State Revenue and Forest Department on March 3, 2016 “to not propose the bird sanctuary at NRI complex and behind TSC Chanakya locations.”

Based on this CIDCO letter, APCCF has now written to BNHS on July 30, 2020, asking for comments.

When asked about the latest development, Tiwari said, “If the land is maintained as it is and birds can continue to visit the area, nobody would have an issue. Environment department has to take a call now. Declaring conservation reserve will require owner’s consent as land does not belong to us.”

CIDCO MD Sanjay Mukherjee did not comment on the matter.

This story, authored by Tanvi Deshpande, was first published by Mongabay India under the Wetland Champions series and has been republished with permission. 

The landscape around the meeting point of the two rivers always attracted the birds. But after the construction of the barrage, also called Bijnour barrage, in 1984, the wetland took shape despite the crowded Gangetic plains and is now the largest in the state. It is home to 234 bird species. Of them, more than 90 are migratory bird species that visit the wetland between December and February and it is a stopover site for migratory birds in Central Asian Flyway.

The Haiderpur wetland stretches across 3,000 acres in Uttar Pradesh. It provides shelter to many wildlife species, helps in flood control, and supports livelihoods among several ecosystem services.

“With bird stock crossing 50,000 in December, January and February, it’s one of the finest, lesser-known wilderness secret and birders’ paradise. With fluctuations of water level due to opening of gates at the barrage, the landscape scene at Haiderpur varies with season,” said Sanjay Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Saharanpur, till recently.

The wetland is also home to wildlife species like otters, jackals, crocodiles, turtles, fishing cat, Burmese python and the swamp deer, the state animal of Uttar Pradesh. Loya recorded a herd of 148 swamp deer in June last year.

Despite such abundance, this site was neglected by the forest department for some time and illegal activity thrived. In some pockets of the wetlands, there were disruptive people, some who brewed illegal liquor as well as rampant poaching and hunting. Moreover, at many places, certain communities would squat with their livestock and encroach the wetland.

Originally from Akola in Maharashtra, Loya, an alumnus of BITS, Pilani, worked in New York for several years. There he balanced his life between working in the finance sector at Wall Street and volunteering with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living programme. He returned to India in 2008 “post a spiritual upheaval” and went to live at the Bengaluru ashram of the Art of Living Foundation as a full-time faculty. As part of his work with the foundation, Loya, 47, is in Bijnour since 2013. Here, Loya returned to his childhood interest of birdwatching – in the 1980s, Loya was a member of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and had taken part in the waterbird census. In his college days, he was also the president of the college Nature Club.

Loya started touring the entire wetland area on his motorcycle. And then explored some portions on foot. He visited almost daily and soon realised how important the area is. That’s where his passion for the wetland started.

The wetland’s shape is such that most of it cannot be seen fully from the barrage. By 2015, convinced that this is a hidden jewel, a paradise for the birds, both native and migratory, Loya started uploading bird photos on the ebird.org website, a repository of birds from all over. Currently, Loya is the highest contributor from the Haiderpur wetland and Ganga barrage area.

He showed photos and videos of the birds to the then Conservator of Forest V. K. Jain, who responded positively and in 2019 installed a forest chowky at the wetland. That put a check on the incidents of poaching and hunting of birds. There are eight villages sharing a border with the wetland: six in Muzaffarnagar district and two in Bijnour district. And a few more nearby too, have easy access to the wetland.

Loya also received a zealous response from Sanjay Kumar, who joined as Divisional Commissioner, Saharanpur in June 2019. Himself a birder and nature enthusiast, Kumar took the lead and along with the Forest Department and World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) held the first ‘Haiderpur Bird Festival’ on February 2 and 3 last year.

Asad Rahmani, former head of the BNHS, was present at the event. The expert was all praise for Loya for his consistent efforts for the conservation of the wetland. Haiderpur is now recognised in Rahmani’s book as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).

A former Wall Street professional and a passionate birder, Ashish Loya, brought the neglected Haiderpur wetland to the attention of the authorities and is now working with the local community to conserve the wetland.

“With bird stock crossing 50,000 in December, January and February, it’s one of the finest, lesser-known wilderness secret and birders’ paradise.” – Sanjay Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Saharanpur

During the Bird Festival, it was announced that efforts would be made to popularise the wetland through eco-tourism. Right now, tourism is a limited activity. Vehicles are not allowed deep inside but cycles on rent were introduced for visitors to roam inside the wetland on designated tracks. Boating is allowed but not in the core area. Birders and nature enthusiasts hope that the boating area would not be increased in the name of boosting tourism.

Fully aware that any conservation efforts would not yield better results if the local community is not involved, there are various programmes and trainings conducted for the community by the administration. Loya, on his own, is trying something entirely new – “using spirituality to bring awareness about conservation.” He first conducted Art of Living yoga and meditation classes for local youth and children from surrounding villages and through these, made efforts to raise awareness about biodiversity, conservation, the environment and more.

One would imagine the Haiderpur wetland remained in better condition because it was hidden from the masses. However, the wetland, while lesser-known, was used by the fishing community. Wildlife poaching was also a problem there. As the wetland comes more into the limelight, it may in fact get better protection and fishing may be regulated, but not banned, Rahmani said.

“I trained some of my students in birdwatching. Four of them have now started volunteering as Ganga Mitra (friends of the Ganga) and have helped in spotting different species of birds and turtles,” Loya added.

The eight villages around the wetland pose threats of various kinds, mainly from illegal fishing. Since the forest chowky and police chowky were established, poaching incidents have drastically come down. “We gave them a boat for patrolling. Now, joint patrol is happening including at night,” Kumar said.

Fortunately, there is no major industrial pollution. But Ipomea weed is a threat as it chokes the wetland and water hyacinth is definitely a problem as it comes from river Solani, which receives waste from villages on its bank.

“Unsustainable wetland resources extraction, especially fish by the surrounding villages may pose as a threat. This can be tackled by involving locals through alternative livelihood options such as the opportunity of becoming nature guides under the supervision of the local forest department. Also, locals can be encouraged in monitoring wetland health and thus can have a role in the wetland management,” said Asghar Nawab, Programme Head, Aquatic Ecology with the Wetlands International South Asia.

Loya argued: “The villagers will have to be given more incentives to not fish.” The administration has made eight viewpoints at earth level, one double storied watchtower, then there is a 15-km long nature trail, lots of signages, including big tabular information about birds of Haiderpur with photos, toilet blocks, polythene free zone, benches and dustbins on the trail.

On November 11 and 12, 2020, Loya, WWF India and the Forest department participated in the Salim Ali Bird Count, a citizen science initiative where birdwatchers around the country undertake a count of birds at important bird areas or any water body. Loya along with forest guards observed and estimated the bird numbers at Haiderpur wetlands over three days. They counted up to 27,000 birds at the wetlands.

The count revealed 15,000 coots, 2,800 gadwall, 900 common pochards, 500 common teals, 150 tufted ducks, 25 red-crested pochards, 9 great crested grebe, three common cranes, two bar headed geese and 200 black-tailed godwits. Among the birds counted were also 1,300 rudy shelducks, the first sighting of such a size, according to divisional commissioner Kumar and 2,100 ferruginous duck, which could be one of the largest flock in the country. The team also counted 200 graylag geese during the bird count. As of now, there are 2000 graylag geese which could be one of the largest flocks in the country, says Loya.

“This place should be developed as a bird sanctuary or a biodiversity park and not as a casual picnic spot. So far the administration and the Forest department are doing everything right. Hope they stay on this track,” Ashish hopes.

“These are early days for migrant birds. We can surely expect more bird landings and more diversity in the coming days and weeks … The number will easily exceed 50,000 plus,” Sanjay Kumar, who relinquished charge recently on November 10, said.

The administration has already started a ‘River Dolphin Safari’ next to the wetland on Dolphin Day, October 5 last year. This was planned with the financial help of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) funds while the study was done by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. Six turtles have been introduced as scavengers. Administration plans to brand it as a wholesome experience: Birding on foot, bicycle riding, and boat safari downstream of the barrage.

A ‘Book of Birds of Haiderpur Wetlands’ is in process with the support of WWF India. The checklist currently stands at 301 with 100 plus migratory species.

Considering all such positives, the Uttar Pradesh government has already sent a proposal to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for the inclusion of the Haiderpur wetland as a Ramsar Site. Of the 10 criterions necessary to qualify as Ramsar Site, the Haiderpur wetland meets 5 to 6 of them. WWF-India and the forest department have developed a formal proposal for the same.

Rahmani has a word or two of caution for the powers that be. Terming as major threat the overdevelopment of Haiderpur for tourism, he has warned: “Under no circumstances, boating should be allowed for tourists or even government babus. Let the guards go in simple boats.”

Also, regulation of water level is important too “but first, it should be studied scientifically. Irrigation department should not be stopped for releasing the water for farmers. Actually, birds prefer shallow water,” he added.

As long as there are no boating and people watch birds from bunds and watchtowers, Rahmani said, it is not a big problem. Garbage and plastic litter will become a problem (in the future due to increased tourism) but can be controlled.

This story was first published by Mongabay India under the Wetland Champions series by Nivedita Khandekar and has been republished with permission. 

Stories about restoring and safeguarding wetlands are frequently about people acting on their conservation dreams of fighting for local biodiversity. They’re also often about friendship and a shared love of nature.

Alejandro Buitrago (28), Juan Borges (35), and Pilar Gómez-Ruiz (36) are three young wetland scientists and friends who have been working together to restore mangroves in the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve – a biodiversity-rich mangrove haven in Tabasco, southeastern Mexico, under threat from mining, logging and agriculture.

Covering 302,906 hectares, the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve comprises mangroves, freshwater wetlands, coastal dunes, aquatic and underwater vegetation. It is part of the largest wetland area in North America, home to species including red, black and white mangroves, howler monkeys, manatees, ocelots and alligators, as well as agami heron, the white pelican and the jabirú stork, Mexico’s largest bird.

But, like so many mangrove areas, this unique ecosystem is facing threats from industrial activities including mining, logging, agriculture, overfishing and urbanisation. Climate change is also a threat because of the increased impacts of forest fires.  These fires can have a severe impact, resulting in a loss of mangrove cover and causing underground fires that are very difficult to control, Paulo says.

Pilar and Paulo met first when they were doing their PhD and Master, respectively, at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, placed in Morelia city in 2012. Then, Alejandro met Paulo working together during a consultation project for the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) in the city of Villahermosa in 2017. The group teamed up to design a project in 2019 that would restore mangroves, increase community resilience and enhance the ability to adapt to climate change.

“These are actions that promote conservation and management of ecosystems and resources considering the benefits that they provide to human societies and biodiversity. We worked with two communities in the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve to develop more understanding about the value of their wetland and how to make use of its resources in a sustainable way,” says Alejandro.

The trio secured funds through the Resiliencia project (a GEF fund powered by UNDP and the Mexican Governement) on behalf of Foro para el Desarrollo Sustentable NGO. Before the project started, the team did a more in-depth study of the local livelihoods and threats and defined a way to manage the mangroves and decrease vulnerability to climate change.

“It is essential to involve young people in mangrove monitoring techniques since they will be the future managers of restoration projects in their communities.”

Mangroves are essential for the communities around the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve. They act as a nursery for species like shrimps, crabs and other freshwater fishes. Naturally, fishing is a major livelihood. Pilar adds: “Mangroves are also important to protect communities against tropical storms and strong winds, it helps reduce flooding impacts.”

The project brought science into practical terms for communities, and locals have actively participated in workshops and restoration work. Pilar says: “As mangrove restoration is a very long process, it is important that the communities take ownership of the process and its monitoring. Due to the close cooperation with the local communities, the project has strengthened people’s idea about the importance of conserving and restoring their mangroves. This is important since they are the people who will benefit from a healthy system the most.”

Being taken seriously as a young project manager has been a challenge for the trio, according to Paulo. “As young people, it is a challenge to build projects and manage resources through bids. But we were lucky with the team, because we all have experience with this. Although at first, we felt that some people did not take us very seriously, especially the managers of the natural area and the people who gave us the financing, after listening to our ideas and proposals, people recognized that we are very capable.”

As a young female researcher, Pilar also faced significant challenges. “Sometimes young people do not have enough credibility in spaces traditionally dominated by older people, a situation much more evident in rural areas because knowledge is associated with age.  As a woman, I noticed a difference when I led some activities in the community where I could perceive some resistance and mistrust at the beginning.  As the project progressed, people had more trust in me,” she says.

Before this project, women and youth had very few opportunities to be involved in decision-making processes as this is traditionally done by men in the communities. The trio made extra efforts to ensure women and youth participated. “In this sense, the project was very rewarding to me. It is essential to involve young people in mangrove monitoring techniques since they will be the future managers of restoration projects in their communities,” says Pilar.

The project has now run for over a year but the last activities took place in February 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. The group will be sharing results with the local people later this year. The next step will be to strengthen sustainable fisheries to improve local livelihoods together with the communities, as well as to keep monitoring the restoration.

“We are exploring post-COVID and post-disaster recovery work, because the communities were very affected by floods during the second semester of 2020. We will work on improving food and water security by constructing agroecological orchards and water reservoirs, building firebreaks to protect mangroves and doing maintenance and monitoring of mangrove restoration process,” says Alejandro.

“I was fascinated by the idea that these ecosystems produced the freshwater for all citizens. This fascination lead me to where I am now.”

So what was it that drew them to wetlands in the first place? For Pilar, wetlands are extra special as they have unique conditions that only certain species can tolerate. “Studying them gives a great opportunity to do cool research,” she says.

Alejandro’s love of wetlands started with his childhood hikes through the paramos and other wetlands that surrounded Bogota city. “I was fascinated by the idea that these ecosystems produced the freshwater for all citizens. This fascination lead me to where I am now,” he says.

Paulo also spent his childhood in wetlands. Growing up in Merida, 30km from the sea, these were coastal. “I spent my childhood holidays at the coast. I was amazed by the big trees that grew in the water, and where beautiful birds’ nests were built. I did not understand why people said these wetlands were just breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Many years later, when I did my studies, I learned more about the fascinating adaptations and great importance of mangroves not only for the species living there but also to the people who live there and benefit from this ecosystem. This provoked in me a deep reflection on the urgent need to conserve and restore this ecosystem.”

When people’s livelihoods are taken away due to a change in the environment, it is difficult to help them adapt to the new situation. This was the case in Chenglong in Taiwan, where villagers found themselves surrounded by a wetland due to subsidence. Chao Mei, an artist and environmental educator from South Taiwan, took on the job to help people learn to live with their ‘new’ wetland and, through art, to begin to value it.

“ I strongly felt the people’s hopelessness because they lost the hope of land and livelihood.”

Chenglong Wetlands is an ‘accidental’ wetland of over 100 hectares located in rural Yunlin County, on the South-central coast of Taiwan. The wetland formed as a result of the low altitude of the Lower Hukou area of Kouhu Township and long-term over-extraction of groundwater, which resulted in serious land subsidence and frequent floods. Together with an encroaching sea and frequent typhoons, these factors have turned the area into wetlands unsuitable for farming.

Today, sodden land exists where the villagers’ farms were once before. According to Chao Mei, some villagers actually see water when they open the door. Crop farming has become impossible, the community economically depressed, and young people have been leaving to find jobs elsewhere in their droves.

Despite the turmoil for its human inhabitants, the area’s brackish water is teeming with wildlife. Crabs, fish, and water plants like reeds, have begun to populate Chenglong – and 120 bird species, many of which are migratory birds, including the Black-faced Spoonbill, Gadwall, Oriental pratincole and Eurasian Kestrel are regular visitors. Even a new fish species was discovered here, Chao Mei says.

The Cheng-Long Wetlands International Environmental Art Project is part of the environmental education program of the Kuan Shu Education Foundation that fosters environmental education. It was started in 2009 to help shift the village mindset and find a new way of life.

“At that time, I was just back from working for the Kuan-Shu Educational Foundation after doing museum studies in the UK,” Chao Mei explains. “I worked as the head of environmental educator and was asked to lead a new team to start the new project in the Chenglong Village. I strongly felt the people’s hopelessness because they lost the hope of land and livelihood.”

International and local artists are invited to stay in the village for about 25 days and work with children from the local elementary school to make environmental sculpture installations using locally sourced materials, such as reeds, drift woods, bamboo, oyster and clam shells, as well as recycled materials taken at the recycling centre.

Chao Mei invited the American curator Jane Ingram Allen, to come and manage the project. She was one of the first foreigners the villagers ever saw. Jane says: “We had no language in common, but I was surprised at how well we were able to communicate through art. Over time I started to notice people become friendlier towards me and the other artists. We gave them a sense of pride about the art works and their wetland.”

“We had no language in common, but I was surprised at how well we were able to communicate through art. We gave them a sense of pride about the art works and their wetland.”

The artworks are specifically designed for the outdoor sites they are located in. One example that has become well-recognised is “Water Core” by artist Roger Rigorth of Switzerland made in 2015. Using bamboos and sisal rope, Rigorth built flexible structures resembling bottles in the wetlands. The idea was to create symbolic vessels to hold water, containing the water’s spiritual soul. The shape of the vessels is that of fruit cores.

With more water coming in every year, former rice fields have been transformed into fish farms and a nature preserve area has been created for the brimming biodiversity. In 2018, Chenglong Wetlands was officially designated as a nationally important wetland because of its growing importance for biodiversity, research and environmental education.

Chenglong has become a good place for Taiwanese people to learn how to live with nature, how to face environmental problems and try to solve it, according to Chao Mei. The project is helping locals adapt to the impacts of climate change that have been felt in Cheng Long for over 25 years, putting pressure on the local economy.

The global attention on Chenglong has helped seed similar projects around the world, and those artists and curators who came to Chenglong have developed similar projects in their home countries.

Chao Mei hopes that through the ongoing community activities, environmental education programmes and art projects, a new generation will take up the mantle. “We hope they will develop even more creative ideas to safeguard the wetlands,” she says.

Tudor Creek is a unique mangrove haven, based off the Kenyan coast, where Mombasa Island splits off from the mainland. Teeming with wildlife, including monitor lizards, turtles, cattle egret, mangrove kingfisher, snowy egret, Lesser adjutant, Grey heron and vervet Monkey, the creek is home to eight different mangrove tree species including red mangrove, spurred mangrove and white mangrove.

“I want to create employment for the community at large through conserving our ecosystem forests, creating awareness and creating a bridge between the government, local and international community,”

Thirty-three year old Mbaarak Abdalla from Mombasa County, Kenya has been inspired to restore and safeguard these mangrove wetlands – both for the 700,000 communities that depend on them for their livelihoods, and for this unique biodiversity. The Tudor mangroves are one of a number of wetlands across the East African coastline to experience rapid loss over the last decade, and has seen a decrease in coverage from 1,641 hectares to its current state of 215 hectares – mostly due to deforestation.

Mbaarak explains that the high poverty levels have forced many locals to look for alternative income to make ends meet. “They end up destroying the wetlands just to earn a living,” he says. As the Founder of Brain Youth Group and as part of the Forest Restoration Agency, two community-based organisations in Mombasa, Mbaarak’s efforts have been focused in large part on working with the communities to develop more sustainable sources of income such as marine fish farming, bee-keeping and eco-tourism as an alternative to cutting down the mangroves.

“I want to create employment for the community at large through conserving our ecosystem forests, creating awareness and creating a bridge between the government, local and international community,” he says.

Currently Mbaarak and the Brain Youth Group, consisting of about 50 people, are aiming to restore 1,426 hectares of degraded mangroves in Mombasa County, Kenya. Mbaarak says: “To do this we need the local communities to help and support this.”

Mbaarak himself first got interested in mangroves after attending a community sensitisation workshop ten years ago. “Since restoring mangroves is not something you can do on your own, I decided to mobilize others and initiated the Brain Youth group in 2011. After that I started receiving a lot of invitations for attending different workshops, trainings and seminars. During my travels that time I visited a lot of different areas and saw a lot of deforestation,” he says.

“After founding the Brain Youth Group, I got the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and learn new things every day.”

Although Mbaarak was forced to drop out of secondary school due to lack of finance, this hasn’t held him back in pursuing his conservation dreams. “After founding the Brain Youth Group, I got the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and learn new things every day,” he says.

Mbaarak now holds certificates on Small and medium Entrepreneurship from Strathmore Business School Nairobi Kenya and on Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) attained by Wetlands International in Rufiji Delta, Tanzania. “I hope to join classes of environmental conservation and project management to improve my skills and take my projects to a higher level. I want to empower more people with skills for conserving our environment,” he says.

The main challenges in restoring the mangroves experienced by Mbaarak and his community groups are the lack of finances for restoration activities as well as a need for greater scientific and technical skills, and more support from stakeholder government institutions. Engaging the community so that they understand the value of mangroves and learn how to develop their livelihoods with the mangroves are especially powerful.

“We have been conducting community sensitisation programmes to educate the community on the importance of mangrove conservation since most people lack the knowledge on the benefits of it. We will continue this work this year as well and involve them in the activities to be carried out just to create ownership of the project. This will contribute to the success of the project.”

Across the world millions of people and animals depend on healthy wetlands. The riverine Marura wetlands, running across western Kenya, is no exception.

“Many people are not aware of the power of wetlands and how their lives are linked to the health state of it. This is what we hope to change.”

Long associated with the cyperus papyrus, the paper reed, originating from the Sergoit River, the Marura wetlands span an area now characterised by agriculture, block making, harvesting, fishing, livestock rearing and irrigation. Locals derive more than 50% of their livelihood from the wetland’s resources. The wetlands are also home to migratory birds including crowned cranes, water ducks, great egrets, and marsh wrens.

But, the wetlands are under coming under increasing threat as settlements of both commercial houses and homes have grown significantly along the bank. These bring more pollution and the tendency towards over-harvesting of fish, water, and papyrus.

Using these precious wetlands in ways that help sustain the wetlands is key to avoiding loss and is something that 25-year old Leonard Agan, from Eldoret, a main fast-growing town in Kenya’s Rift Valley region, is activating his community around.

After visiting the Marurar wetlands a number of years ago, and having studied a master’s in Environmental health at the University of Eldoret, Leonard got to understand the vital role and services that the wetlands provide. “Like the provision of water, fish and herbs, or the indirect services like the potential to control floods from upstream,” he adds. Leonard wants to make sure these services will be secured for the long-term.

Leonard is developing a group of like-minded young people who want to raise such awareness among the local people. This group has been engaging the local community, schools and farmers on the important roles wetlands play in their lives and livelihoods.

“We aim to make conservation and sustainable development a culture and attitude of people.”

Changing ingrained practices will be part of the challenge. Currently, people tend to cut a whole reed area down. This influences groundwater storage, and the fish and other aquatic organisms end up exposed to direct sunlight.

“We hope to inform and inspire people to get the products from the wetland in a way that it can be continuous without total destruction. Many people are not aware of the power of wetlands and how their lives are linked to the health state of it. This is what we hope to change,” says Leonard.

While getting access to schools or different parts of the community can sometimes be a challenge, the group has been translating information materials English to Kiswahili to reach more people with the message. “By engaging with them we hope to reduce waste in the wetlands and to stop over-exploitation, we aim to make conservation and sustainable development a culture and attitude of people,” he says.

Healthy wetlands provide food and fodder for the species and people living around them. But over-exploiting these resources can lead to degradation, which in turn, affects the communities living on the wetlands.

“Conservation in rural context means creating livelihood opportunities for the poor while in urban areas it is about convincing people to be more sensible about their lifestyle.”

Getting the balance right is a major challenge for the Indian village of Hatimuria, which relies on a wetland called Bherbheri Beel in the state of Assam. Tanvi Hussain, a 29 year-old wetland ambassador, PhD student and scientist from the region works on natural resource conservation with the communities who live around this wetland.

“I am deeply moved by the wonderful balance of nature but distressed by the dilapidated condition of many such wetlands, forests and other areas. Conservation in rural context means creating livelihood opportunities for the poor while in urban areas it is about convincing people to be more sensible about their lifestyle,” says Tanvi.

Tanvi is a Project Scientist as part of a state government organisation Assam Science Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) which works with central and state government. She part of a project to build the resilience of the community of Hatimuria dependent on the Bherbheri beel – beel being the local term used for wetlands and ponds in Assam – and help it adapt to the impacts of climate change.

This involves making livelihood activities in the village such as farming, water harvesting, irrigation of farmland, cattle rearing, energy sources “climate friendly”. We work together with the residents of the village and help them to become aware of the impacts of climate change and prepare them for climate change induced threats, says Tanvi.

“After the fishing period harvest all the remaining fish were caught by pumping out the water in the wetland, lowering the village’s ground water table and contributing to water scarcity.”

One particular focus has been to help villagers have a better understanding of how the wetland functions and how it is connected to water availability. Tanvi explains that the auctioning off of the wetland [harvest] during the fishing season to local businessmen led to a practice that was contributing to degradation. After the fishing period harvest, all the remaining fish were caught by pumping out the water in the wetland, lowering the village’s ground water table and contributing to water scarcity.

“The auctioning off of these wetlands and diversion of water has also been putting South Asian river dolphins, migratory birds, other animals and plants at risk and locals are ill-equipped to deal with the changes. That is why we want to help them,” she says.

As part of the efforts to raise awareness, ASTEC is issuing handbooks on the local biodiversity. Children are being taught about climate change and resilient practices, while local youth are taught skills such as wild bee-keeping and honey extraction, bamboo craft and nature walks – practices that can help sustain the balance across the wetland.

Women are being supported to boost income through weaving. Creating these sorts of alternative livelihoods will helps boost villagers’ financial conditions, which avoids the need to auctioning off the wetland for monetary benefits.

“Hatimuria will serve as an example to encourage other villages to get involved with the council’s supportive measures and to become self-sufficient.”

The longer-term vision, according to Tanvi, is to restore the ecosystem and create possibilities for eco-tourism throughout the area. The village is situated just 2.5 km away from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary which houses a host of majestic animals including the one-horned rhinoceros, Asiatic wild buffalo, elephants, swamp deer and migratory birds from different parts of the world between November and March every year.

Tourists come from across India and all over the world to marvel at the area’s natural beauty. Managing the Bherbheri wetland throughout the year, particularly at the time of auction (November to March) will help make it attractive for visitors, creating both an inherent and monetary value for the wetland and its people.

Tanvi says: “I am very proud that we have been able to work with the local people and that we have reached consensus on the importance of the wetland and the function a wetland has in support the ecosystem. Hatimuria will serve as an example to encourage other villages to get involved with the council’s supportive measures and to become self-sufficient.”

Wetlands adjacent to cities are often used as wasteland despite being important carbon stores. The Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge in Peru is such a place.

Los Pantanos de Villa, a coastal marine wetland, was designated as a wildlife refuge, a natural protected area and Ramsar Site in 1997, but being so near to a fast growing urban population, this ‘special interest’ site has become a dump.

Trucks have even been known to dump construction waste there, compacting the soil, reducing flora growth and draining the flooded areas. Soil saturated with water allows the accumulation of carbon because it prevents oxidisation of the soil. In other words, when dry, the soil literally evaporates into thin air. It then loses its ability to store carbon and becomes a source of emissions.

“During the day I could observe the birds and on the way home I saw the moon reflecting in the lagoon.”

Karol Salazar Navarro, 25 years old from Lima, Peru, is a young scientist researching this topic, more specifically, how much carbon is taken up from the atmosphere and stored by a native grass species of the wetland. She’s concerned that people start to see both the beauty and value of this wetland’s blue carbon.

“It is frustrating to see that the wetland has been reduced in area over the years,” says Karol. On one side the city is encroaching, a university is on the other border, it is crossed by a road and there are also private areas in its surroundings such as country clubs and recreation fields.

Her own love of the wetland started as she began at university. “Every day I passed by the wetland ‘Pantanos de Villa’ travelling to university. I discovered the landscape from this route. During the day I could observe the birds and on the way home I saw the moon reflecting in the lagoon,” she says.

Her own love of the wetland started as she began at university. “Every day I passed by the wetland ‘Pantanos de Villa’ travelling to university. I discovered the landscape from this route. During the day I could observe the birds and on the way home I saw the moon reflecting in the lagoon,” she says.

The wetlands, composed of marshes and swamps, with both fresh and saltwater lagoons across ​​263,270 hectares, is home to more than 200 species of migratory and resident birds including the Peruvian Diving-Petrel, Guanay cormorant and Peruvian Booby. It’s also a refuge for species like Peregrine Falcon and the Black-bellied Plover.

The discovery of this wetland’s charm, even from the periphery, led her to develop her thesis about the area.

“I grew up with a close connection to nature and water since I lived very close to the beach. From a very young age, I was convinced that I wanted to study something related to the environment and science. I am fascinated by the marine-coastal systems’ capacity to capture carbon.”

But as a young adult, science was distant to her: she imagined it was a career for others. “My image of scientists was of people in white coats who did not seem very accessible, she says.”

At the time in Peru, there were not many opportunities in public universities to study the environment. Fortunately, the National Technological University of South Lima, a new University in Peru, was offering a program for the first time in environmental engineering. With preparation and dedication, Karol entered the program, became part of one of the first cohorts and finished successfully in 2019.

“Part of safeguarding the wetlands is raising awareness of ‘blue carbon’. People need to know the important role wetlands play in carbon storage.”

Luckily, SERNANP and PROHVILLA, two institutions with whom Karol collaborated through her project, are working on preventing the wetland from begin used as a dumping ground. “Part of safeguarding the wetlands is raising awareness of ‘blue carbon’. People need to know the important role wetlands play in carbon storage. This is why I also work on identifying the existence and feasibility of methods for determining carbon sequestration, the capturing and storing of atmospheric carbon dioxide, in wetlands.”

One of Karol’s major successes has been finding a factor for estimating how much carbon is taken up from the atmosphere and stored in the species she studied. She compared three different methods to see if they gave the same results regarding the percentage of carbon sequestration. Using different methods she surprisingly found different results for each method, with results varying between 57.94  tons of carbon per hectare to up to 181.8  tons of carbon per hectare.

“I initially identified it as an error but managed to recognise it as a motivation to continue researching it. I hope my story will motivate more young people to study science. By doing this we can help restore and safeguard wetlands and their carbon stores.”

Every spring when the snow starts to melt on the Mongolian steppe, thousands of migratory birds land on the wetlands of the Khurkh and Khuiten river valleys in north-eastern Mongolia. Dubbed “crane capital”, the area is home to the threatened White-naped crane, the Demoiselle and the Common crane while the Siberian and Hooded cranes are also observed.

“We want to maintain its crucial property of storing carbon in its peat and methane in its permafrost.”

Wetland ecologist Vandandorj Sumiya, who works at the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia (WSCC ) and Research Fellow at the Leiden Conservation Foundation (LCF), has been managing a research project here to understand the climatic and anthropogenic impacts on the valley, and how to safeguard it for both the cranes, and the people who depend on it. He says: “we want to maintain its crucial property of storing carbon in its peat and methane in its permafrost.” Spring is when he prepares his field study with colleagues.

Vandandorj grew up in a herding family in the central Mongolian countryside, where he spent his childhood outdoors all day. “I used to try to pet chicks, fish, toads and bring them home. I would care for them, but my parents always asked me to let them go. This is when my interest in nature started and led me to studying and conserving wildlife in their natural habitat,” he says.

“Mongolia has a big responsibility for the conservation of the crane species, having the highest density of breeding pairs in the valleys, but there will be no success without paying attention to its habitat, the wetland.”

The valleys Vandandorj works in are relatively small in size, but are internationally known for their cranes and as a carbon store, and because of this, have been designated a Ramsar site, an East Asia-Australasian Flyway Network site and Important Bird Area. More recently, the valleys were named a state nature reserve by Mongolian Government thanks to the efforts of international and national institutions, including WSCC.

Vandandorj explains that components of the wetland are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent. The peat layer of partially decayed plant material on top of the permafrost acts as insultation and prevents the permafrost from thawing. In turn, the permafrost holds the water table higher in the wetland, allowing the peat to stay in good condition. But, due to overgrazing and global warming Mongolia has already lost half its peatland habitats and the valley could face similar consequences.

Overgrazing, mostly by domestic livestock, exposes the soil leading to higher surface temperature and an increased evaporation rate. This disturbs the interconnectedness between the peat layer and the permafrost, with the possibility of degradation of the wetlands, setting off a negative feedback loop. Vandandorj and his team is working to prevent this from happening and that the area would become unsuitable for nesting cranes.

He frequently travels to the valleys during the year for his studies and conservation activities, even in cold snowy winters. “Our field study is not as easy as people might think. Since it is a wetland sometimes you may have to walk about 30 km a day. When you go by car you can get stuck in the mud easily. But we enjoy our field studies a lot because we truly love this place and I believe that we are doing something meaningful for our nature, for the cranes and people as well,” he says.

Apart from his academic studies, Vandandorj also organises annual training on wetland studies for young Mongolian researchers and runs an interactive summer school for local students, to help them to grow up as a nature-loving and responsible citizen. Students learn about the special birds that live in their region, how important the wetland is for the birds and local communities, and how they can help with conservation of biodiversity and the wetland.

WSCC also works with herding community and provides training to diversify their source of income, so that grazing pressure in wetlands could be reduced. “Herders are starting to realise that it is hard to have a large number of livestock in the changing world and are more open to alternative livelihoods. Working with communities in wetland monitoring and wildlife conservation is important for the future of the wetland, its migratory birds and the people that depend on it,” says Vandandorj.

When it comes to conservation, providing alternative livelihoods and getting communities involved is often the key to stopping habitat and ecosystem damage. It’s something that Jayson Salenga, a 36-year old ecotourism officer, has embraced as part of his remarkable work in Sasmuan, an area in the Manila Bay, the Philippines.

“Over the years, I observed a significant decline in fish production due to mangrove degradation, land conversion, and pollution making the area vulnerable to the effect of climate change resulting in massive flooding.”

The Sasmuan Bangkung Mapalad Critical Habitat & Ecotourism Area, lies along the banks of the Pampanga River, winding along to fringes of Manila Bay. The areas extensive mangroves and mudflats are the breeding and feeding grounds of more than 20,000 migratory birds. With an abundance of fish, crabs and shrimp, it’s little surprise that such fishing activity supports 85% of the local economy.

But, despite this natural bounty, the wetland is under pressure – from the over-exploitation of natural resources by a growing population, who are increasingly turning to cutting mangroves and using illegal fishing methods to earn a living. Deforestation, however, reduces the productivity of the natural resources base and affects food security. Pollution is also an issue since the wetlands are a dumping ground for domestic waste, which is often burned.

“Over the years, I observed a significant decline in fish production due to mangrove degradation, land conversion, and pollution making the area vulnerable to the effect of climate change resulting in massive flooding,” Jayson says. “We often upgrade our houses, but no one notices why we still experience flooding because they see it as normal in the coastal area,” he adds.

With this in mind, Jayson became a community volunteer to help raise awareness of the importance of a healthy wetland. He has since been supporting research, bird census, and mangrove restoration projects working to protect the area.

In January 2013, he became the tourism officer of Sasmuan. With its majestic views and astonishing wildlife, he soon saw the potential of the area as an eco-tourism destination. This led to a bold proposition. Jayson says: “Bangkung Malapad is a gemstone hidden in the heart of Pasac River draining into the Manila Bay. On the mudflat there are lots of waders resting and eating small fish and shellfish. The importance of the habitat to the birds became clear to me, so, I endorsed it to our local government official who passed a resolution and submitted a proposal declaring the area a critical habitat for migratory birds to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.”

These days, Jayson is busy working with local communities, NGOs, fisherfolk, boat operators and women’s groups to help provide alternative livelihoods to those that are damaging to the wetlands. People can get training to become tourist guides, boat operators for eco-tours or as a local coast guard. Also, people manufacture souvenirs and native products of Sasmuan.

“We work with the local communities to provide sustainable livelihoods. Several women’s groups manufacture mangrove apple candy. Local people now work to protect the wetland against destructive activities,” Jayson shares. Community volunteers support with monitoring of biodiversity and the survival and growth of mangroves, as well as regular clean-ups of the mudflats.

In 2014, tropical storm Glenda struck the whole coastal area of Sasmuan with major damages to infrastructures, houses and livelihoods. This compelled Jayson to get involved in mangrove restoration to bring back this natural buffer against coastal hazards. With help from national government agencies, research bodies and companies to fund and implement restoration activities, 13 hectares of Bangkung Malapad are now once again covered with mangroves.

Jason’s remarkable work has helped inform and educate others on the importance of mangroves in the Philippines and protect people in local communities that rely on the wetlands. “There is so much beauty in conserving wetlands. My goal is that the Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetland will be protected, conserved and we will maintain the coastal resources while conserving biodiversity, supporting sustainable commercial and community-based development, organising and empowering the communities. There is so much to be done in Sasmuan Bangkung Malapad and in the whole coastal area of Sasmuan,” he says.