Wetlands in Indian Cities

Wetlands in India are diverse ecosystems that include lakes, marshes, mangroves, floodplains, estuaries, peatlands, and human-made water bodies such as reservoirs and tanks. They occur across a wide range of climatic and geographic regions, from the Himalayan highlands and Indo-Gangetic plains to the Deccan Plateau and coastal belts. Wetlands play a critical role in biodiversity conservation, water regulation, groundwater recharge, flood mitigation, and supporting livelihoods.^[1]

India is a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and has designated several wetlands of international importance. In addition to large and well-known wetlands, a significant number of smaller wetlands exist within and around cities and towns, where they have historically contributed to urban water supply, stormwater management, groundwater recharge, and local microclimatic regulation. Urban wetlands also support biodiversity within built-up areas and provide ecosystem services that are increasingly relevant in the context of urbanisation and climate variability. Documentation and protection of such urban wetlands, however, remains uneven across the country.

In the context of cities and towns, urban wetlands refer to natural or human-made wetland ecosystems that occur within, or in close functional association with, urban and peri-urban areas.^[2] These include lakes, marshes, floodplains, estuaries, and water bodies that are influenced by urban land use, infrastructure, and governance arrangements.^[3] International and national definitions of wetlands, such as those under the Ramsar Convention and Indian policy frameworks, apply to urban wetlands insofar as they recognise both natural and artificial wetlands, permanent or seasonal, located within built-up environments.^[4]

Urban wetlands include lakes, ponds, marshes, floodplains, and drainage channels located within or adjacent to cities and towns. Historically, these wetlands were integral to urban planning, supporting water supply, agriculture, and stormwater management. In contemporary Indian cities, urban wetlands face pressures from land conversion, pollution, encroachment, and fragmentation.

Governance of urban wetlands is often complex, involving multiple agencies such as urban local bodies, irrigation departments, forest departments, and state wetland authorities. While some urban wetlands have received legal protection or restoration attention, many remain unnotified and poorly documented.^[5]

India hosts several large and ecologically significant wetlands, including but not limited to:

• Ramsar sites designated under the Ramsar Convention
• Extensive mangrove ecosystems along the coasts
• Large freshwater and brackish wetlands supporting migratory birds and fisheries

In addition to large wetlands, many cities contain multiple wetlands that vary in size, ecological condition, and governance status. The following table provides an indicative, non-exhaustive overview of wetlands in selected cities.

In the last four decades, India has lost nearly one-third of its natural wetlands to urbanisation, agricultural expansion and pollution.^[6]

Wetlands in Indian cities face multiple threats, including:

• Urbanisation and land conversion
• Pollution from sewage and industrial effluents
• Hydrological alteration and fragmentation
• Inadequate documentation and monitoring
• Climate-related impacts such as changing rainfall patterns

Urban wetlands are particularly vulnerable due to competing land demands and fragmented governance.

• Ramsar sites in India
• Mangroves in India
• List of waterfalls in India