Ramsar sites are internationally recognized wetlands of significant importance, with the Ramsar Convention established in 1971. In Kerala, notable Ramsar sites include the Vembanad-Kol Wetland, Ashtamudi Wetland, and Sasthamkotta Lake, each providing crucial biodiversity and facing environmental pressures from human activities and pollution. Conservation efforts are essential to protect these vital ecosystems, which support diverse flora and fauna, including migratory birds and endemic fish species.

1. Muneer A
Dept. of Aquatic biology and fisheries
University of Kerala

2. What is Ramsar site?
 Ramsar sites are wetlands to be international
importance
 the 1st convention on International wetlands held in
Ramsar, Iran in 2nd February 1971
 Officially convention on wetland (Ramsar, 2 february
1971) is popularly known as ramsar convention.
 The contracting parties to the convention are
countries with Ramsar meet every three years.
 Last conference of contrating parties (COP11) was
held in Bucharest, Romania.
 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting
Parties in Punta Del Este, Uruguay on 1-9 June
2015

3. Vembanad- kol
wetland
Ashtamudi Wetland
Sasthamkotta Lake

4. VEMBANAD-KOL WETLAND
 Largest estuarine system of western coast of India
 Spread over the districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam,
Ernakulam, & Thrissur.
 It is a complex aquatic system from south Kuttanad to
Thrissur. With long back water, lagoons, marshes,
mangroves, network of natural channels & man made
canals.
 Fed by 10 rivers originating from western Ghats
 Enjoy the full of benefit of south west monsoon

5.  one of the most attractive backwater systems in the
world
 Many historic places situated on the shores and
hinterlands of the Vembanad - Kol backwaters
 obviously attract thousands of spectators including
foreign tourists.
 The waterways formed by backwater, estuaries, lagoons
and canals, spread over 196 km in the northsouth and 29
km in the east-west directions, play an important role in
the transportation system of the Vembanad region and
practically, almost all the villages can be accessed
through water transport

6. Biodiversity
 8 Ptaridophytes & 202 angiosperms (68 are trees)
 14 mangrove species &30 mangrove associates
 Large verity of fish, prawn, clams, reptiles& birds
 102 species of fishes are identified
 Different kind of mollusks & crustaceans
 In winter vembanad supports More than 20,000 water
fowls.
 144 birds including 5 migratory
 26 species of insects

7. Pressures
 Tourism plans without care to natural ecosystem
 Unplanned development and economic activities
 Industrial & hospital wastes.
 Coastal ship yard and port release waste oil, paints &
metals.
 Urban sewage of kochi city enters directly to the
vembanad .
 Annual consumption of fertilizer in kuttanad causes
eutrofication.
 Thottappally spillway(1955) & thannermokkom
barrier(1975) -constructions in wetland system- altered
the original characteristics of VKW
 Uncontrolled mining

8. ASHTAMUDI WETLAND
 Located in Kollam city and adjoining Grama
panchayat with the area of 61.4 sq.km
 Kallada is thechief tributory
 Coastal plain, Undulating uplands,Valley fills
,Alluvial plain, Islets (thuruth) are various land
forms.
 Ashtamudi is famed for its magnificent
panoramic view.
 Famous chinese fishing net
 ayurvedic treatments and oil massage in
ashtamudi resort is internationally famous

9. Biodiversity
 Home to a wide verity of flora and fauna one had very good
mangrove vegetation but, now only near ashramam park. (7
species of true & associated)
 floristic diversity covers around 72 species of herbs, shrubs
and grasses, of which about 35% are medicinal plants and 92
tree species
 57 species of birds (6 migratory and 51 resident species)
 About 40 species of wetland dependant birds
 Terns, plovers, cormorants and herons are most abundant
birds
 97 species of fish(42 typically marine, 3 estuarine, 9 estuarine-
riverine and 15 marine-estuarine)

10. Pressures
 Ashtamudi facing serious environmental degradation
 Effluents from the large scale industries& sewage
 Organic pollutants from small scale industries
operations like coconut husk retting etc
 Waste from house boat and resorts released to the
wetland raising the nutrient levels, pathogens and
eutrophication
 Unhealthy agricultural practices and plastic wastes.
 Kallada dam exert pressure on ecosystem
 Natural process like floods, erosion, sedimentation,
and natural disasters do exert the pressure in
ashtamudi

11. SASTHAMKOTTA LAKE
 Largest fresh water lake in kerala
 located in Kunnathur Taluk of Kollam District
 mostly religious tourists visit here, their frequency is
very low
 This is the source of drinking water for half a million
people
 Undulating uplands, valley fills, Flood Plains are
different land forms
 A larva called cavaborus eliminating bacteria in the
water, thus contributing its exceptional purity
 An ancient Sastha temple present near the lake
lends its name to the town

12. Biodiversity
 29 species of herbs, shrubs and grasses and around 56
species of trees have been listed from this site
 13 species of insects (9 are butterflies)
 27 species of fresh water fishes &two species of prawns
 34 species wetland depended birds
Macaca fascicularis

13. Pressures
 human settlements in the catchment increases stress on
the ecosystem
 pollution due to solid waste, sewage, fertilizer residues
and other chemicals, aesthetic issues, etc
 Unscientific agricultural practices such as Tapioca
ultivation in hill slopes causing soil erosion

14. HOW TO CONSERVE WETLANDS?
 Wetlands are vital for human survival.
 These are most productive environment in the world.
 Ramsar sites in Kerala supports populations of
plants and animals
 It supports so many migratory birds
 Verities of endemic species of fishes are found in
these wetlands.
 People should avoid unscientific agricultural and
other activities in wetland regions