ArticlePDF Available

Ecological and socio-economic assessment of Varthur wetland, Bengaluru (India)

Authors:

Abstract

Wetlands are the most productive ecosystems, recognized globally for their vital role in sustaining a wide array of biodiversity and provide goods and services. But presently increased anthropogenic activities such as intense agriculture practices, indiscriminate disposal of industrial effluents and sewage wastes have altered the physical, chemical as well as biological processes of wetlands, which is evident from the present study carried out to assessVarthur wetland in India. Coastal wetland ecosystem in the world has 14,785/ha US$ annual economic value. An earlier study of relatively pristine wetland in Bengaluru revealed the value of ? 10,435/ha/day while the polluted wetland showed the value of ? 20/ha/day. On the contrary Varthur, a sewage fed wetland has a value of ? 118.9/ha/day. The pollutants and subsequent contamination of the wetland-Varthur has telling effects such as disappearance of native species, dominance of invasive exotic species (such as African catfish), in addition to profuse breeding of disease vectors and pathogens. Water quality analysis revealed high phosphate (4.22-5.76 ppm) level in addition to the enhanced BOD (119-140 ppm) and decreased DO (0-1.06 ppm). The amplified decline of ecosystem goods and services with degradation of water quality necessitates the implementation of sustainable management strategies to recover the lost wetland benefits of Varthur.
... Sewage contains carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) 52 , which enhances organic contaminants and chemical constituents, resulting in the loss of biodiversity, microbial community structure, disease vectors, pathogens, and flies, which causes waterborne diseases 53 . Health implications are evident from several cases of fever, diarrhea, and skin disorders in the Varthur Lake catchment due to eutrophic status 54 . A similar situation prevails in Hebbal Lake, with a poor overall water quality index 55 . ...
... Exotic fish species prevalent in Bangalore wetlands are Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis sp., Clarias gariepinus, Gambusia affinis, and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix 38 . The profuse growth of invasive exotic plant species and exotic fish with the sustained discharge of nutrient-rich wastewater has contributed to the extinction of native faunal species 54 . The exotic fish species compete with the native fish, prey on native fish, introduce new diseases and parasites, alter trophic structure, and cause genetic erosion of indigenous species 63 . ...
Article
Full-text available
Wetlands (lakes, tanks, ponds, etc.), transitional lands linking hydrologically the terrestrial ecosystem with aquatic ecosystems with biophysical interactions, are the most productive and diverse ecosystems and provide numerous ecological, economic, and social benefits for human well-being. These vital ecosystems sustain ecological processes to provide services such as nutrient cycling, water purification , reducing pollution, carbon sequestration, groundwater recharge, provision of fish, fodder, fuel, and water, flood reduction, erosion control, aquatic biota habitats, education opportunities, aesthetics, and recreation. However, due to globalization, these fragile ecosystems are vulnerable to unplanned developmental activities and rapid urbanization, leading to large-scale land cover changes and hydrologic regimes. The sustained inflow of untreated wastewater (from the industrial and domestic sectors) into wetlands has altered the chemical integrity, which necessitates inventorying, mapping, and regular wetland monitoring to evolve conservation strategies. Integrating spatial and non-spatial data, analysis , and visualization with decision models through decision support systems enables informed decisions. In this context, the Bangalore Lake Information System (BLIS) is designed with information on water quality , biodiversity (microalgae, zooplankton, ichthyofauna, macrophytes, and birds), threats (encroachments, inflow of untreated sewage, etc.) and ecosystem services of lakes in Bangalore, Karnataka State, India. Rapid large-scale land use changes have resulted in an alteration in the hydrologic regime, the loss of habitats, and the disappearance of native species. BLIS empowers decision-making through knowledge of lake distribution in terms of the physical, chemical, and biological aspects and the value of ecosystem services, which is crucial for evolving strategies for prudent management of water bodies in Greater Bangalore.
... Sewage contains carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) 52 , which enhances organic contaminants and chemical constituents, resulting in the loss of biodiversity, microbial community structure, disease vectors, pathogens, and flies, which causes waterborne diseases 53 . Health implications are evident from several cases of fever, diarrhea, and skin disorders in the Varthur Lake catchment due to eutrophic status 54 . A similar situation prevails in Hebbal Lake, with a poor overall water quality index 55 . ...
... Exotic fish species prevalent in Bangalore wetlands are Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis sp., Clarias gariepinus, Gambusia affinis, and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix 38 . The profuse growth of invasive exotic plant species and exotic fish with the sustained discharge of nutrient-rich wastewater has contributed to the extinction of native faunal species 54 . The exotic fish species compete with the native fish, prey on native fish, introduce new diseases and parasites, alter trophic structure, and cause genetic erosion of indigenous species 63 . ...
Article
Wetlands (lakes, tanks, ponds, etc.), transitional lands linking hydrologically the terrestrial ecosystem with aquatic ecosystems with biophysical interactions, are the most productive and diverse ecosystems and provide numerous ecological, economic, and social benefits for human well-being. These vital ecosystems sustain ecological processes to provide services such as nutrient cycling, water purification, reducing pollution, carbon sequestration, groundwater recharge, provision of fish, fodder, fuel, and water, flood reduction, erosion control, aquatic biota habitats, education opportunities, aesthetics, and recreation. However, due to globalization, these fragile ecosystems are vulnerable to unplanned developmental activities and rapid urbanization, leading to large-scale land cover changes and hydrologic regimes. The sustained inflow of untreated wastewater (from the industrial and domestic sectors) into wetlands has altered the chemical integrity, which necessitates inventorying, mapping, and regular wetland monitoring to evolve conservation strategies. Integrating spatial and non-spatial data, analysis, and visualization with decision models through decision support systems enables informed decisions. In this context, the Bangalore Lake Information System (BLIS) is designed with information on water quality, biodiversity (microalgae, zooplankton, ichthyofauna, macrophytes, and birds), threats (encroachments, inflow of untreated sewage, etc.) and ecosystem services of lakes in Bangalore, Karnataka State, India. Rapid large-scale land use changes have resulted in an alteration in the hydrologic regime, the loss of habitats, and the disappearance of native species. BLIS empowers decision-making through knowledge of lake distribution in terms of the physical, chemical, and biological aspects and the value of ecosystem services, which is crucial for evolving strategies for prudent management of water bodies in Greater Bangalore.
... The fish provide various goods and services, as evident from the annual provisioning service provided by fish from wetlands, which is worth INR 32,175 per hectare (Ramachandra et al., 2021). The rise in pollution and habitat degradation is leading to a decline in the economic worth of freshwater ecosystems, evident from INR 20 per hectare per day in the contaminated Amruthalli Lake in Bangalore and INR 10,435 per hectare per day in the pr istine R achenahalli L ake (Ramachandra et al., 2011). The profuse growth of invasive exotic species led to the decline of native species, resulting in the reduction of the economic worth of fish in Varthur Lake in Bangalore due to the sustained inflow of pollutants and the rapid growth of macrophytes (Ramachandra et al., 2011). ...
... The rise in pollution and habitat degradation is leading to a decline in the economic worth of freshwater ecosystems, evident from INR 20 per hectare per day in the contaminated Amruthalli Lake in Bangalore and INR 10,435 per hectare per day in the pr istine R achenahalli L ake (Ramachandra et al., 2011). The profuse growth of invasive exotic species led to the decline of native species, resulting in the reduction of the economic worth of fish in Varthur Lake in Bangalore due to the sustained inflow of pollutants and the rapid growth of macrophytes (Ramachandra et al., 2011). In Ulsoor Lake, Devarabisanahalli Lake, and Sankey Lake, a sudden drop in dissolved oxygen levels brought on by sewage inflow led to asphyxiation and, ultimately, fish death (Ramachandra et al., 2016;Benjamin et al., 1996). ...
Article
Full-text available
Aquatic ecosystems provide a wide range of ecological services, such as the provision of food, fodder, and water, remediating contaminants, moderating microclimate, providing cultural services, etc., which sustain the livelihoods of dependent populations. However, aquatic ecosystems are in peril throughout the world due to unplanned developmental activities leading to changes in land cover, sustained inflow of untreated or partially treated domestic sewage and industrial effluents, climate change, introduction of exotic or alien species, overexploitation, habitat modification, and degradation. Native fish species production in inland wetlands has been significantly contributing to the regional economy through food security, nutrition, employment creation, and the reduction of poverty. The fisheries sector significantly contributes to global food security, nutrition, and livelihoods, ensuring economic prosperity, sustainable food systems, and biodiversity as per the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, the current research presents fish diversity along with the water quality in the urban lakes of the Bangalore city. The linkages between fish diversity and water quality parameters were assessed through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The study reveals that the degradation of aquatic habitats has affected native species' fish diversity and production, which has impacted the livelihood of the fishing community due to impaired ecosystem services. Hence, there is an urgent need to formulate strategies for promoting conservation to sustain fish diversity and productivity and support the livelihood of people.
... (Ramachandra et al., 2011) (4) East Kolkata Wetland: Wetland is located in the eastern region of India. In the year 2002, EKW recognizes as a wetland ecosystem, it covered an area of about 127.41 km². ...
Article
Full-text available
A wetland ecosystem covers about 5-10% of the earth's land. Wetlands play a significant role in the world's economy but they suffer from several threats from various influencing factors. Wetlands are destroyed due to the expansion of human activities and their effect on living and non-living organisms. Some of India's and Gujarat's wetlands case studies highlight the worst conditions of wetlands from past decades. These case studies highlight the reasons for wetland degradation, and also which types of issues need to be addressed. Wetlands are the most important ecosystem on earth, and to control wetland degradation, it is essential to improve special laws and regulations and be aware of people to conserve ecosystems.
... More than any other terrestrial biomes, forests, especially tropical forests, impact climate and biodiversity-related processes more (Nasi et al. 2002). From the perspective of the biological diversity and ecological functions, services provided by forest ecosystems are of great economic value making these critically valuable habitats (OECD 2002;Ramachandra et al. 2011;Ramachandra et al. 2016b). While being a foundation of ecosystem services vital for the well-being of humans, these ecosystems also affect Earth's biogeochemical systems (Gonzalez et al. 2005;Villegas-Palacio et al. 2016). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
The chapter deals with Evolution of the Western Ghats, its biodiversity, ecosystem services, conservation actions etc. Different conservation actions which are required for Western ghats mountain system explained in detail. The chapter is much needed to researchers to understand the geographical importance and restore ecosystems as per the mandate of UN declaration of this decade(2021-2030) on Ecosystem Restoration.
... Among the types of services and functions of the wetland, the focus of the current research is on the services that are directly related to the livelihood of human communities dependent on the wetland. In a study, Ramachandra et al. (2011) classified the total economic value of Varthur Wetland as components of direct use and indirect use values and option values, and existence values, known as nonuse values. They assessed this sewage-fed wetland value, analyzed the water quality, and surveyed the socioeconomic component by contingency valuation technique. ...
Article
Full-text available
Wetlands are of great importance to human society due to their direct and indirect delivery of goods and services; therefore, there has been a growing interest in the restoration and preservation of wetlands in different communities. To preserve the ecological values of wetlands and, thus, to ensure the local communities’ livelihood, it is essential to supply the water demand to provide ecological services relevant to the organisms in the ecosystems and also to the local communities around the wetland. A conceptual model derived from the integrated water resources management principles was used to assess the economic damages caused by the degradation of ecological conditions in Anzali Wetland. In order to quantify the assessment of this study, initially, the economic value of the entire wetland was estimated at 592,960 billion Iranian rials, which includes direct use value, indirect use value, and non-use value of about 28.5%, 10.5%, and 61%, respectively. Then, by defining the optimal and minimum acceptable conditions of Anzali Wetland in terms of ecological health, the economic value of wetland functions and services within the goals set for the livelihoods of local communities was obtained in the corresponding ecohydrological conditions. Finally, the value of wetland services was evaluated by comparing the current reduced economic value with both minimum and optimal ecological conditions. In this paper, by introducing the indicators for the vital wetland-related occupations, it was shown how disturbing the hydrological balance by impairing the tangible ecological services of Anzali Wetland influenced the IWRM, particularly the livelihoods of local communities in this system.
... (Lloyd et al., 2021), previous surveys of microalgal genera showed the high domination potentials of Chlorella (Lloyd et al., 2021;Palmer, 1974 as cited by Abdel- Severes, 2018). However, the varying results may be attributable to the local geographical, climatic, and ecological conditions (Ramachandra et al., 2011). ...
Preprint
Developing countries such as the Philippines suffer from a lack of policy development and implementation on wastewater treatment and discharge. Chlorella vulgaris is a microscopic green algae that has been employed in other countries for WWT due to its ability to simultaneously reduce pollutants and produce valuable biomass. However, challenges in technology adaptation such as differential efficiency depending on the location and wastewater types were encountered. Three liquid wastes of different origins—municipal (public market), agricultural (piggery effluent), and industrial (meat processing plant) wastewaters, were used to gauge the remediation potentials of C. vulgaris in a simple photobioreactor setup. Treated samples from municipal, agricultural, and industrial wastewaters showed microalgal growth rates of 0.2685, 0.1527, and 0.1809, respectively, along the 6-day treatment period. Post-intervention comparisons of treated vs. untreated samples revealed a lower electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chemical oxygen demand, nutrients (nitrate, ammonia, phosphate), and fecal coliform (MPN/100 mL) on treated samples. Moreover, all treated samples demonstrated relatively higher dissolved oxygen concentrations, denoting the photosynthetic activity by the microalgae. Therefore, Chlorella vulgaris could be harnessed for the remediation of different wastewaters in Nagcarlan, Laguna, Philippines to circumvent issues in water reclamation and degradation.
Chapter
Wetlands are productive ecosystems providing an array of services that sustain the well-being of dependent biota. The industrialization and globalization era witnessed a spurt in anthropogenic activities, leading to the degradation and decline of fragile ecosystems, affecting the livelihood of the dependent population. This necessitates the conservation of vital ecosystems through sustainable management tenets, which requires an understanding of the livelihood support of ecosystems. Now, many wetlands are degraded due to increasing pollution and a lack of awareness among the public about the economic value of wetland ecosystems. Thus, the current chapter focuses on the valuation of provisioning, regulating, and cultural services through the residual value and resource rent method and the benefit transfer method from aquatic ecosystems in Karnataka, India. The value of provisioning, regulating, and cultural services provided by freshwater lentic ecosystems in Karnataka are 50, 197, and 38 billion rupees/year, respectively. The total ecosystem supply value (TESV) provided by the freshwater ecosystem of Karnataka is 285 billion rupees/year, and the net present value (NPV) amounted to 7321 billion rupees. Similarly, the value of services provided by the estuarine ecosystem in Karnataka are 5, 10, and 1 billion rupees/year from the provisioning, regulating, and cultural services, respectively. The TESV provided by the estuarine ecosystem of Karnataka is 16 billion rupees/year, and NPV amounted to 411 billion rupees. The total value of provisioning, regulating, and cultural services considering both freshwater and estuarine ecosystems was 55 billion Rs/yr (183,328 Rs/ha/yr), 207 billion Rs/yr (691,577 Rs/ha/yr), and 39 billion Rs/yr (130,686 Rs/ha/yr), respectively. The total ecosystem supply value of Karnataka aquatic ecosystem was 301 billion Rs/yr (1,005,591 Rs/ha/yr) and the net present value amounts to 7732 billion rupees. This highlights the importance of wetlands in ecological, social-cultural, and environmental aspects. Appraisal of ecosystem services (ES) allows for adjusted national accounts, which reflect the output of ecosystem services as well as the depletion of natural resources and the degradation costs (externalized costs of the loss of ecosystem services) of ecosystems in economic terms, which will help raise awareness and provide a quantitative tool to evaluate the sustainability of policies toward prudent management and conservation of fragile livelihood supporting ecosystems. The monetary valuation of ecosystem services can help in building a better understanding of their influence on well-being and can further facilitate information-driven decisions and policy reforms that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the wise use of natural resources. Natural capital accounting research, involving the quantification of services provided by wetlands and insights into economic values, would help in devising prudent policies for wetland restoration, conservation, and management. This will, in turn, aid in the sustainable development of a region through the wise use of natural resources.
Article
Full-text available
India boasts a wealth of wetland ecosystems that support diverse and unique habitats and provide numerous ecological goods and services but are under tremendous stress. To ensure the sustainability of these ecosystems and the provision of various ecosystem services (ES), a systematic understanding of wetland ecosystem services (WES) and their economic value is highly important for guiding WES research and management. This systematic review provides an in-depth assessment of existing knowledge on WES and summarize key interdisciplinary approaches for measuring and valuing them. The review deals with the economic valuation approaches adopted in India for the WES and addresses the pressing need for reliable economic valuation methods that quantify trade-offs across various spatial–temporal scales and can assess the efficiency of alternative wetland management scenarios. By meticulously examining the available scientific literature related to WES and analyzing a diverse range of research papers that explicitly quantify these services, this paper seeks to identify gaps, advancements, management approaches, and future requirements in the field of WES valuation in India. It emphasizes the need for a pluralistic approach that includes a wider range of social perspectives and valuation techniques to better understand the relationship between ecosystem functioning and human well-being. After describing the specificity of knowledge gaps, we conclude with lessons for future research on wetland valuation in India.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.