National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems

Context

National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems and Wetlands Rejuvenation Programme aims to conserve India’s wetlands.

About National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems 

• It emerged by amalgamating the National Lake Conservation Plan and the National Wetlands Conservation Programme.
• Implemented by – Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
• Aim:
  • Comprehensive conservation and restoration of lakes and wetlands.
  • Significant improvements in water quality.
  • Enhance biodiversity.
  • Restore ecosystems through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach under a common regulatory framework.
• Activities under NPCA
  • Interception, diversion, and treatment of wastewater.
  • Shoreline protection and lakefront development.
  • In-situ cleaning (desilting and de-weeding).
  • Stormwater management and bioremediation.
  • Catchment area treatment.
  • Lake beautification and bio-fencing.
  • Survey and demarcation.
  • Fisheries development and weed control.
  • Biodiversity conservation.
  • Education and awareness creation.
  • Community participation.

About Wetlands Rejuvenation Programme

• Rejuvenation of selected wetlands within a 100 days framework.
• By Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• The programme follows a 4-pronged approach:
  • Developing Baseline Information:Preparation of a brief document for each wetland with:
    • Identification, location, and jurisdiction
    • Site characteristics
    • Biodiversity
    • Ecosystem services
    • Pre-existing rights and privileges
    • Present and potential threats
    • For wetlands to be notified under Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, information on prohibited, regulated, and permitted activities is also included.
  • Rapid Assessment of Wetlands Condition
    • Report Card System: 9 indicators under 4 categories:
      • Wetland Area: % area converted to non-wetland use since 2000
      • Hydrological Regimes: Extent of choking of natural inlets/outlets, % of water quality samples meeting desired Biological/Chemical Oxygen Demand levels
      • Biodiversity: % wetland area covered by invasive macrophytes, annual January waterbird count as a proportion to maximum count observed in the last 10 years (for protected areas of high ornithological value)
      • Governance: Status of wetlands mapping, management plan, and notification under extant regulation
    • Scoring System: Ranks from A+ (very good) to E (very low).
    • Findings: One in four wetlands has a low to very low rank (category D to E). Urban and peri-urban wetlands have lower condition ranks compared to others.
  • Enabling Stakeholder Platforms
    • Engagement and collaboration with stakeholders to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility.
  • Management Planning
    • Creation and implementation of comprehensive management plans for the rejuvenation of wetlands.

Source:
PIB

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Previous Year Question

Consider the following pairs:

 Wetland/Lake:                      Location

1. Hokera Wetland                    Punjab
2. Renuka Wetland                   Himachal Pradesh
3. Rudrasagar Lake                  Tripura
4. Sasthamkotta                        Tamil Nadu

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]

(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

Option 1 is not correct:
Hokera Wetland – Jammu and Kashmir
Option 4 is not correct:
Sasthamkotta – Kerala

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