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Wetland systems are highly vulnerable to climate change. As climatic patterns become more extreme, wetlands may have pronounced effects through alterations in hydrological regimes. Therefore, a solid knowledge base of climate change risks is essential to improve site managers’ capacity to prioritise and plan appropriate adaptation and mitigation actions.

In partnership with the respective State Wetland Authorities and site-level management institutions, this project conducted climate risk assessments and adaptation planning for four Indian Ramsar sites that are the focus of the technical cooperation project Wetlands management for biodiversity and climate protection, implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in partnership with GIZ. The four Ramsar sites are Renuka Lake, Pong Dam Reservoir, Bhitarkanika Mangroves, and Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary. These four sites represent two very different ecological and climate conditions: the upland lakes and reservoirs in Himachal Pradesh and coastal mangrove areas in Odisha and Tamil Nadu. An outcome of the project was the identification of ecosystem-based adaptation measures for each site that help reduce their vulnerability.

An integrated series of final reports covering the four Ramsar sites and technical guidance were produced as part of the project:

1. Climate risk assessment of the Bhitarkanika Mangroves Ramsar site, India – Final report
2. Climate risk assessment of the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary Ramsar site, India – Final report
3. Climate risk assessment of the Pong Dam Reservoir Ramsar site, India – Final report
4. Climate risk assessment of the Renuka Lake Ramsar site, India – Final report
5. Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Methodology for Ramsar sites in India – A Guide for Ramsar site managers

You can download all the reports here.

 

The project feeds into a broader Technical Cooperation project – Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection, being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in partnership with GIZ.