Sustaining the restoration efforts of a wetland is often a challenging task. In an effort to reach out to various stakeholders on scientific rejuvenation of wetlands, Care Earth Trust and Okapi Research and Advisory recently brought out a comprehensive handbook on Wetlands Restoration — Learnings from Chennai.
It would serve as a comprehensive guide from important technical steps to post implementation management. The handbook would provide overview on wetlands, methods of scientific restoration and ways for sustaining the initiative in the long run. Interspersed with illustration and maps, the 106-page document speaks about various topics, including legal and regulatory provisions for protection and monitoring and evaluation.
Jayshree Vencatesan, managing trustee, Care Earth Trust, said each wetland system was distinct and needs specific and scientific restoration efforts. In the urbanised context when the land use patterns have changed, a deep understanding of the wetlands and revival of the system to their original character was essential.
This would be useful to different stakeholders be it corporates or practitioners to residents. “We have documented case studies and methodologies of various other organisations in implementing wetland restoration in Chennai. These experiences could be drawn to execute similar efforts in other parts,” she said.
It was the feedback from various sectors on short-lived restoration of wetlands, often done in an unscientific manner, that led to compilation of the handbook.
Parama Roy, executive director, Okapi Research and Advisory, an IIT Madras-incubated research organisation, said the handbook dealt with the scientific process of restoration and develop a governance process post rejuvenation. It would help train representatives from corporates and residents on sustaining the outcomes of the rejuvenation.
Besides providing copies to government departments, there are plans to make it available on https://careearthtrust.org/.
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