5 Policy and Programming Synergies Between Wetlands
and Water Management
Despite water and wetlands sectors having adopted different development trajectories, there also exist several policy and programming complementarities. The
National Environment Policy of 2006 makes explicit recognition of wetlands as
‘freshwater resources’ and emphasizes integration of conservation and wise use of
wetlands into river basin management involving all relevant stakeholders (MoEF
2006). India’s National Wildlife Action Plan (2017–2031) identifies conservation of
inland aquatic ecosystems as one of the 17 priority areas and envisages development of a national wetlands mission and a national wetlands biodiversity register
(MoEFCC 2019). Mainstreaming the full range of wetlands ecosystem services into
developmental planning is listed as the objective of the National Wetlands
Programme (MoEFCC 2019). In 2017, the MoEFCC notified the Wetlands
(Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, under the Environment (Protection)
Act, 1986, wherein state wetlands authorities have been constituted as nodal
policy-making, programming and regulatory institutions for wetlands in the state.
The structure of the authority includes representation from all sectors, including
water resources, thus providing a platform for balancing diverse sectoral interests
related to wetlands.
Likewise, integration of wetlands in river basin management has been identified
as a strategy for the management of river systems (MoWR 2012). The National
Water Policy recommends adoption of a basin approach for water resources management and identifies conservation of river corridors, water bodies and associated
ecosystems as an essential action area (MoWR 2012). The guidelines on Integrated
Water Resources Management issued in 2016 by the Central Water Commission
recommend using water balance as a basis for planning at basin level and ensuring
that upstream and downstream impacts are taken into account (GoI 2016). The
National Action Plan for Climate Change includes wetland conservation and sustainable management in the National Water Mission and the Green India Mission
(MoEF 2008b). The National Disaster Management Plan takes into account several
non-structural measures for flood and cyclone risk reduction measures and makes
direct reference to wetlands (NDMA 2019). The national indicator framework for
monitoring implementation of Sustainable Development Goals provides a mapping
of various sectoral programmes towards assessing country’s progress on sustainable
development goals (MoSPI 2015) and makes several references to integrated
management of wetlands and water resources.
The nature of water sector challenges that India currently faces is complex—
water demand outstrips supply in several basins, rampant aquifer depletion prevails,
economic development driven by urbanization and industrialization is altering
water use and efficiency by several proportions while creating water quality issues,
and water conflicts have become more endemic (World Bank 2005, 2010; Molle
et al. 2010; Cronin et al. 2014). Future climate change projections for the country
indicate increasing variability of precipitation, run-off and extreme events, and
Wetlands and Water Management: Finding a Common Ground
117
and Water Management
Despite water and wetlands sectors having adopted different development trajectories, there also exist several policy and programming complementarities. The
National Environment Policy of 2006 makes explicit recognition of wetlands as
‘freshwater resources’ and emphasizes integration of conservation and wise use of
wetlands into river basin management involving all relevant stakeholders (MoEF
2006). India’s National Wildlife Action Plan (2017–2031) identifies conservation of
inland aquatic ecosystems as one of the 17 priority areas and envisages development of a national wetlands mission and a national wetlands biodiversity register
(MoEFCC 2019). Mainstreaming the full range of wetlands ecosystem services into
developmental planning is listed as the objective of the National Wetlands
Programme (MoEFCC 2019). In 2017, the MoEFCC notified the Wetlands
(Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, under the Environment (Protection)
Act, 1986, wherein state wetlands authorities have been constituted as nodal
policy-making, programming and regulatory institutions for wetlands in the state.
The structure of the authority includes representation from all sectors, including
water resources, thus providing a platform for balancing diverse sectoral interests
related to wetlands.
Likewise, integration of wetlands in river basin management has been identified
as a strategy for the management of river systems (MoWR 2012). The National
Water Policy recommends adoption of a basin approach for water resources management and identifies conservation of river corridors, water bodies and associated
ecosystems as an essential action area (MoWR 2012). The guidelines on Integrated
Water Resources Management issued in 2016 by the Central Water Commission
recommend using water balance as a basis for planning at basin level and ensuring
that upstream and downstream impacts are taken into account (GoI 2016). The
National Action Plan for Climate Change includes wetland conservation and sustainable management in the National Water Mission and the Green India Mission
(MoEF 2008b). The National Disaster Management Plan takes into account several
non-structural measures for flood and cyclone risk reduction measures and makes
direct reference to wetlands (NDMA 2019). The national indicator framework for
monitoring implementation of Sustainable Development Goals provides a mapping
of various sectoral programmes towards assessing country’s progress on sustainable
development goals (MoSPI 2015) and makes several references to integrated
management of wetlands and water resources.
The nature of water sector challenges that India currently faces is complex—
water demand outstrips supply in several basins, rampant aquifer depletion prevails,
economic development driven by urbanization and industrialization is altering
water use and efficiency by several proportions while creating water quality issues,
and water conflicts have become more endemic (World Bank 2005, 2010; Molle
et al. 2010; Cronin et al. 2014). Future climate change projections for the country
indicate increasing variability of precipitation, run-off and extreme events, and
Wetlands and Water Management: Finding a Common Ground
117