Stories
Wetlands
What are Wetlands?
Wetlands are where land and water meet, creating conditions that support distinct plant and animal life. They can be freshwater, saline, or brackish. Marshes, swamps, lakes, floodplains, mangroves, estuaries, and even paddy fields are all wetlands. They are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth.
How Many Ramsar Sites Does India Have?
India currently has over 90 Ramsar sites, wetlands that are recognised as being of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, a global treaty for the conservation of wetlands. This makes India the country with the highest number of Ramsar wetlands in Asia and the third highest in the world.
The diversity of wetlands in India is staggering. For instance, the Chilika lake in Odisha is the largest brackish water lagoon in the world and is also home to the Irrawaddy dolphin. Tso Kar lake in Ladakh is a brackish water lake fed by snowmelt frequented by the black-necked cranes.
Why Migratory Birds Flock to Wetlands?
One of the key features of India’s wetlands is the large number of migratory birds they host, making them vital stopovers along major global migratory bird flyways. For example, Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan and Harike Wildlife Sanctuary in Punjab welcomes thousands of migratory birds like bar-headed geese, painted storks, and various species of ducks and waders every winter. Wetlands also host fish, frogs, turtles, otters, and the elusive fishing cat. Wetlands are also lifelines for many cities—like the East Kolkata Wetlands, which naturally treat sewage and support livelihoods.
Why are Wetlands Threatened?
Wetlands absorb floodwaters, recharge groundwater, filter pollutants, store carbon, and support livelihoods. They also play a crucial role in buffering the impacts of climate change. But wetlands are disappearing at a faster rate than forests. They are often drained or reclaimed and become easy targets for development and encroachment.
Wetlands are central to water security, to biodiversity, and to a sustainable future, and their good health ensures ours.
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Infographic
Fireflies: Facts, Mating Rituals and Distribution
Infographic
Long-billed Dowitcher: Facts, Distribution, Diet
Explainer
What are Wetlands?
Habitat
Galathea: A Threatened Paradise at the Edge of the World
Photo Story
Amazing Algae: Uncovering an Invisible World in Keoladeo
Film
The Otters of Chambal: Tale of a Fish Heist
Film
Gharials of Chambal: Snapshots from the River’s Edge
Film
Boon of the Curse: Unholy Chambal
Species
Saltwater Crocodile: Dragons of the Sundarbans Swamps
Photo Story
Little Grebe: Little-known Creature of the Wetlands
Infographic
Little Grebe: Facts, Diet, Habitat
Photo Story
Fishing Spiders: Riders of the Swamp
Film
Namma Ankasamudra: Jewel of North Karnataka
Film
Virtual Tour: Eastern Ghats Biodiversity Centre, Visakhapatnam
Film
The First Flight: the Pallas' Fish Eagle
Film
Lost in Our Plates
Film
Spirited Away: In Search of the Deo Haanh
Photo Story
Living Waters: The Resistance and Resilience of the Cauvery
Film
Rhizophora Mangroves: Sentinels of our coast
Film
Bhitarkanika National Park: Predators of a Mangrove Forest
Film
Mangalajodi: A Village that Guards a Wetland
Film
Fishing Friends: The Irrawaddy Dolphins of Chilika
Film
Flight of Hope: Saving Rajasthan's Chandlai Lake
Film
Black Necked Stork: King of the Marshes
Film
Checkered Keelback: Life in the Water
Film
The Fragile Gori Basin
Film
Saving Bhimanama: Ayushi Jain and a Giant Turtle
Film
Wings of Hope: A Bustling Village and their Bird Friends
Film
City of Lakes at Risk: Why Udaipur’s Wetlands Need Your Attention
Film
Black Magic: Common Coots and their Vacation in Rajasthan’s Wetlands
Film
Home Affairs: The Great Crested Grebes Build a Nest
Film
Troubled Waters: Why Bharatpur’s Wetlands Need our Attention
Film
Behind the Lens with Abhinandan Sharma: Why He Shares a Special Bond with Bharatpur
Film
How Citizens turned this Toxic Waterbody in Gurugram into a Bird Haven
Film
Basai Wetland: Why We Must Save Gurgaon’s Bird Paradise
Film
Feared, Loved, Worshipped: The Enigma of the Sundarbans Tiger
Film
Lost and Found: A Quest to Revive the Rare Batagur Baska
Film
The Mud Pack: Love, Life, and Strife in the Sundarbans
Film
Tidal Tales: The Undercover World of Coringa
Film
Spot-tailed Pit Viper: The Covert Operator of Coringa
Film
Fishing Cat: Secret Keeper of the Mangrove Forest
Film
Why the Sundarbans is Hit by Cyclones So Frequently: Part I
Film
Western Marsh Harrier: King of the Marsh
Film
A Dog-Faced Water Snake’s Murky Life
Conservation
Ganges Shark: The One True River Shark of India
Habitat
Keshopur-Miani Wetland: India’s First Community Reserve
Habitat
Mote Majra: Making a Case for an Unkempt Swamp
Habitat
Growing with Nature: The Story of Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary
Habitat
The Story of Harike: A Wetland that has Witnessed History
Habitat
The Guide: Sultanpur National Park
Habitat
Bird’s the Word in Mangalajodi
Habitat
Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve: A Sweet Symphony of Waterbirds
Film
Sundarbans: Nature’s Wall of Defence
Film
Tso Kar: A White Lake that Welcomes Birds
Film
The Return of Kaziranga’s Greater One-horned Rhinoceros
Film
Grazing, Lazing, Wallowing: The Good Life of the Wild Water Buffalo
Film
Stag Party: The Eastern Swamp Deer’s Bachelor Life
Film
The Greater One-Horned Rhino Has its Own Scent Code
Film
How Kaziranga National Park is Reborn, Every Year
Habitat
Sultry Sundarbans: The Tide, the Forest, and the Tiger Goddess
Hero
Anil Mistry: The Ex-Poacher Who Rescues Tigers
Conservation
The Fishing Cat in Laxmi’s Backyard
Habitat
Munroe Thuruthu: Preserving a Habitat Through Tourism
Species
Here, There, Everywhere: The Muggers of Chambal
Species
Stream Ruby: Jewel of Forest Streams
Infographic
Pink-headed Duck: Facts, Habitat, Distribution
Photo Story
Fringe Ecosystems: The Rhizophora Mangals
Photo Story
The Circle of Life in Bharatpur
Photo Story
Mangrove Coast: The Emerald Forests of Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
Conservation
The Cat’s Out of the Protected Area
Conservation
Drones Give Wildlife Conservation an Added Edge
Infographic
Ganges River Dolphin: Facts, Population, and Protection Status
Species
Paranoid Plovers: Lapwings from India
Wild Vault
Bharatpur: Memories of an Inveterate Birder
Habitat
Wild and Untamed: The National Chambal Sanctuary
Photo Story
Birding Bonanza on the Chambal
Species
Gharial: Champion for the Chambal
Species
Happy Campers: Life Lessons from the Wagtails of India
Photo Story
Action Packed Birding in Keoladeo National Park
Photo Story
Indian Skimmer: Fish-Loving River Hunter
Wild Vault
When Golden Jackals Swim Across the Karli River
Conservation
Fishing Cat Population Booming in Chilika
Species
Predator in the Pond: Indian Flapshell Turtle
Wild Vault
Wildlife Warriors: The Guardians of Kaziranga Brave On
Species
Living Dragons: Weapons, Defences and the Water Monitor Lizard
Explainer
Riparian Zone: Facts, Threats, Flora and Fauna
Conservation
In Deep Waters: The Conservation Saga of the Ganges River Dolphin
Conservation
Dying River: Declining Water Quality and Fish Stocks on the Cauvery
Conservation
High and Dry: The Cauvery’s Otters Need Their River Back
Interactive
Quiz: The Wetlands
Habitat
Lake Life: Pulicat, the Bird Haven
Explainer
Mangroves: Forests, Coast Guards, Threats
Photo Story
Fishing Cat: Elusive Hunter of the Wetland Forest
Habitat
Mangroves: The Coastal Superheroes
Habitat
Roots of a Salt Forest: Mangroves as Coast Guards of the Sundarbans
Conservation
Future in Jeopardy: The Wild Water Buffalo in Assam
News
Community Efforts Guide Mahseer Protection in Meghalaya
Infographic
Greater Flamingo: Facts, Habitat, Threats
Species
Little File Snake: The Silent Predator
Interactive
Wildlife Puzzle: Green Pit Viper
Conservation
Fishers’ Quandary: Strain and Survival on the Cauvery
Conservation
Pallas’s Cat: Silent Predator of the Trans-Himalayas
Conservation
Untreated Legacy Waste is Harming Deepor Beel Wetland
Conservation
Gangetic River Dolphin Numbers Decline in Assam
Photo Story
Unsung Guardians: The Vital Wetlands of Kolkata
Species
Protecting the Sacred Fish of the Cauvery
Photo Story
Delightful Ducks: From the Flamboyant to the Austere
Photo Story
Going with the Flow: Tale of the Golden Mahseer
Travel
The Guide: The Backwater of Bhigwan
Urban Jungle
Mumbai’s Mangroves: Forests of Breathing Roots
Urban Jungle
On a Wing: Dhanauri Wetland, a Birdwatcher’s Wonderland
Urban Jungle
Pallikaranai Marshland: An Urban Wetland on the Brink
Habitat
The Oxbow Lake of Purbasthali and my Tryst with the Elegant Ibis
Green Humour
Born with a Silver Spoon
Green Humour
You Got Curves, She Got Curves
Species
Back from the Brink: Saltwater Crocodiles in Bhitarkanika
Book
The Thirty-Year Long Battle to Save a Wetland in Calcutta
Photo Story
Tiny Tentacles in the Mighty Kaveri
Infographic
Black-necked Stork: Facts, Threats, Habitat
Infographic
Fishing Cat: Facts, Population, Habitat
Infographic
Northern River Terrapin: Habitat, Conservation, Lifespan
Infographic
Nicobar Long-tailed Macaque: Facts, Habitat, Diet, Threats
Infographic
Golden Mahseer: Facts, Threats, Habitat
Infographic
Hump-backed Mahseer: Facts, Habitat, Threats
Species
Humpback Mahseer: Big Fish in a Small World
Species
Vanishing Act: The Slow Decline of Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle
Species
Fishing Friends: Irrawaddy Dolphins and the Fishers of Chilika Lagoon
Conservation
Fishy Quandary: A Nexus of Livelihoods and Native Fish
Photo Story
Risk, Ritual, and Survival: The Honey Gatherers of the Sundarbans
Photo Story
Crawl, Burrow, Swim: Little Champions of the Sundarbans Ecosystem
Photo Story
A River that Carves a World: Brahmaputra’s Journey through Assam
Photo Story
Mettle of the Mugger: How the Marsh Crocodile Balances Stealth, Strategy and Surprise
Photo Story
Waltz on Water: Courtship of the Great Crested Grebe
Photo Story
Sharavathi: Lament of a River
Photo Story
Not Just Desert: The Wild, Varied Habitats of Rajasthan
Photo Story
Gutsy Gulls: Trick or Treating on the Water
Hero
Going with the Flow: Exploring India’s River Systems, One Step at a Time
Hero
Life and Livelihoods along Coringa’s Mangrove Forest
Hero
Man on a Mission to Revive Noida’s Wetlands
Column
Croc Creche: Why Crocodilian Males Make Great Babysitters
News
The swimming camels of Kutch
News
Underwater Disturbance: The Gangetic Dolphin Struggles to Communicate
News
Gharials Make a Comeback in Punjab
Wild Vault
Growing With the Flow: The River Pamba and I
Travel
The Guide: Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
Travel
The Guide: Keoladeo National Park
Travel
The Guide: Sundarbans Tiger Reserve
Urban Jungle
In the Heart of Suburban Mumbai, an Oasis for Birds and Birders
Urban Jungle
Hesaraghatta Lake and the Savannah of Silicon City
Book
The Teeming Wildlife of a Garbage Dump
Book
Najafgarh – Wetland or Wasteland?
Book
The Sundarbans Inheritance: Protecting a People’s Legacy
Book
The Story Behind the ‘Hardship Allowance’ for Karnataka’s Frontline Forest Staff
Book
The Nitty-gritty of Releasing a Leopard
Conservation
With its Habitat in Danger, the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Struggles to Survive
Conservation
Smooth-Coated Otter: The Unexpected Visitor in Goa’s Mangroves
Conservation
How a Colonial Hunter Inspired Conservation Efforts
Conservation
Turning the Tide: The Batagur Baska and the Race Against Extinction
Conservation
Guardians of the Sundari: Reviving the Mangroves in the Sundarbans
Conservation
Amphan Aftermath: A Resilient Mangrove Forest Struggles to Survive
Conservation
Vembanad Lake: A Chance of Revival for the Dying Lake
Conservation
Death Knell for the Sharavathi?
Conservation
Gujarat’s Wildlife Habitats Call for Protection
Conservation
The Vanishing Grasslands and Wetlands of India
Conservation
Alien Fish Proliferate as Extreme Climate Events Rise
Conservation
Gharials Lose Nesting Sites at Katerniaghat
Habitat
Birds of Many Feathers in the Mangroves of Coringa
Habitat
The Fantastic Creatures of Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
Habitat
The Guide: Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
Habitat
The Flamboyance of Maximum City at Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary
Habitat
The Guide: Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary
Habitat
The Mangroves of Andaman Islands and Tamil Nadu
Habitat
The Guide: Bhitarkanika National Park
Habitat
The Guide: Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Habitat
The Guide: Lakh Bahosi Bird Sanctuary
Habitat
Keoladeo Ghana National Park: Floating Laboratory of Bharatpur
Species
The Mangrove Pitta: A Blue Streak in the Mud
Urban Jungle
When Flamingos Frolic and Feed in the Talawe Wetlands
Urban Jungle
Love and Let Live: Saving Puttenahalli Lake
Infographic
Mangrove Pitta: Facts, Diet, Threats
Species
A Fine Balance: Irrawaddy Dolphins in Chilika Lake
Wild Vault
An Owlsome Night Amidst the Dense Mangroves of Bhitarkanika
Urban Jungle
Basai Wetlands Thrive Just a Short Hop From Gurugram’s Glitzy Malls
Photo Story
Let the River Run: Smooth-coated Otters on the Cauvery
Conservation
Safeguarding Mangrove Plantations in the Sundarbans
Species
In the Sundarbans, the Bengal Tiger is Always Watching You
Conservation
190 Dolphins Recorded in Mahananda Face Survival Challenges
Species
Smaller Herons and Egrets: Hunchbacks and Those Lovely in Lace
Species
Big Herons: Those Grouchy old Fishermen
Habitat
Nalabana Bird Sanctuary: Magnificent Reed Forest
Conservation
Securing the Fishing Cat's Future in the Chilika Lagoon
Urban Jungle
A Lost River and the Wetland Paradise of Hoskote Lake
Hero
Coast Guards: How Women are Protecting Sindhudurg’s Mangroves
Hero
Kole’s waterman: Protecting a wetland through paddy cultivation
Species
Black-necked Stork in the Eye of the Marsh
Conservation
Migrating Mangroves: Why Sundarbans’ Coast Guards Are Moving
Species
Hunter Among the Mangroves: The Fishing Cat of Coringa
Species
Dog-faced Water Snake: Sludge and Salt in the Intertidal Zone
Species
Painted Storks: Colouring the Coringa Wetlands
Hero
Anant Shankar: Saving the Mangroves of the Godavari Delta
Conservation
Nest Protectors Hope to Secure the Indian Skimmer’s Future
Urban Jungle
Unprotected Areas: Lalbagh Southern Bengaluru Charm
Wild Vault
A Forest of Folklore: Myths, Gods, and the Many Faces of the Tiger
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