Recently Hamburg University Germany has published a research paper titled 'Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Benefits of Son Beel Wetland in Assam, India' in its annual conference, Climate 2020, held in March 2020 this year. The study estimated Son Beel's monetary value from a minimum of $88/Hectare/Year to a maximum of $29,716/Hectare/Year.
Researchers reiterate that Son Beel has all prominent potential to be designated as a Ramsar Site of Wetlands of International Importance.
Mesmerizing Son Beel:
Son Beel, (also called Shon Beel), is situated in Karimganj, Assam, India, and is the largest wetland in Assam. During the lean season, it offers a highly productive soil for rice cultivation. It holds an enormous amount of water that overflows during the rainy season because of the shallow depth in the beel. The Beel water confluence to Kushiara River and it drains into Bangladesh through Kakra River, making Son Beel a significant waterway. The inlet and outlet of Son Beel are River Shingla, which has their origin in Manipur. The Beel occupies a diversity of fish species, including its specialty Bhujia fish.
Research Revelation:
Three researchers from a common background of Environmental Science: Deepak Kumar, an Environment Officer with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India, Moharana Choudhury, Environmentalist, Researcher & active member of volunteering environmental organization, "Voice of Environment (VoE), Guwahati, Assam and Ashok Rathore, Biohm Consultant Private Ltd, Surat, Gujarat along with the field photography expert, Rahul Choudhury from Silchar, Assam have contributed to evaluating the monetary value of Son Beel Wetland ecosystem (the authors of this article). This study was conducted from January 2016 to December 2018.
The research study adopted the 'The Economics of Ecosystem & Biodiversity' Model for the valuation of ecosystem services and benefits of Son Beel. Deepak Kumar reiterates, "Son Beel wetland is facing a severe ecosystem marginalization where ecosystem services have not been priced and reflected in decision making and which proves a complete market failure.
Agriculture yield from transformed/converted/encroached lake does not reflect values lost due to flood protection, fisheries, biodiversity, etc. People who degrade are not the same whose livelihoods are affected, leading to the continued deterioration of the wetland. Wetland governance has been ineffective in addressing sectoral policies providing incentives lead to wetland depletion."
Environmentalist and Researcher Moharana Choudhury spoke out about how locals are interlinked for their livelihoods and ecotourism development. "More than 300 families depend on income from boat services for six months. A similar number of families are engaging in a boat making factory in the form of rural artisans." Moharana Choudhury stated.
While discussing how researchers have done a monetary valuation, Deepak Kumar explained, "Son Beel offers a diversity of ecosystem services which comprise provisioning, regulating, supportive and cultural services. Most of the research on ecosystem valuation considers used values in general, which are directly or indirectly controlled by market prices. The team adopted 'Dollar ($) Based Ecosystem Valuation' with having three significant approaches estimating values of ecosystem services and benefits in dollar. Each approach is based on three different paradigms. The first one is based on market prices, having revealed willingness to pay. The second one is adopted according to circumstantial evidence, which is an imputed willingness to pay. And the last one is based on a survey which is an expressed willingness to pay."
Ecosystem Services and Benefit:
Son Beel offers multiple ecosystem services to the locals residing in the proximity of the wetland. These services are categorized as provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services and supporting services. Those benefits and products obtained from wetlands as a prior life and livelihood support such freshwater, food, fiber, fuel, genetic resources, biochemical, natural medicines and pharmaceuticals are part of provisioning services. Regulating services include those benefits obtained from the regulation of the ecosystem services, likewise water regulation, erosion regulation, water purification, waste regulation, climate and natural hazards regulation (e.g., floods, storms and droughts).
Cultural services include non-material benefits people obtain from wetlands through spiritual enrichment. Cognitive development, reflection, recreation and aesthetic experiences, cultural diversity, knowledge systems, educational values, social relations, sense of place, cultural heritage and ecotourism. Supporting services include those that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services. The beneficial impacts of such ecosystem services are indirect, likewise primary production, water cycling and nutrient cycling, etc.
Infrastructure Development:
The state government has sanctioned Rs 50 lakhs for the all-round development of the site in October 2020. "Since research work has been reaching the state government via different sources, the state government has started working to develop Son Beel wetland as one of the picturesque tourist hotspots in Assam. The research team pledges the state government to send the proposal for designating it a Ramsar Site of 'Wetlands of International Importance. The team is hopeful that this pertinent wetland proves fair on nine critical criteria of Ramsar Convention for being designated as an International site," Moharana Choudhury said.
Wings of Hope:
Agenda 2030 provides a broader roadmap for national and international policy action for governments, civil society, private sector, and other state/non-state actors to achieve S.D.G.s for our present and future generations. Son Beel provides a wide range of natural capital flow in terms of ecosystem services for people and the community's life and livelihood. Son Beel could have been developed into important tourism as well as a research destination in Assam. Placing a value on nature's ecosystem services shouldn't be misconstrued as putting a price on nature.
This situation is the right time for the government to set up wetland governance to protect, conserve and restore wetlands in the state for ensuring a climate-resilient and water surplus future. We can survive only against COVID-19 or another pandemic risk by restoring, rejuvenating, and restructuring our natural ecosystem to become healthier and resilient.
(The views expressed in the article are the authors’ own.)
